YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. The Turkish-Kurdish clashes which have intensified at the end of June go on without any perspective for their settlement. Bagrat Estukyan, executive editor of the Armenian section of Istanbul “Agos” newspaper, said in his interview with “Armenpress” that the situation gradually became more concerning not only for the local Armenians, but for the future of the whole country.  

-The Armenians are irrelevantly referred to during the latest Turkish-Kurdish clashes. How would you comment on the current political situation of Turkey and what it may lead to?

-The involvement of Armenians into the processes going on in Turkey is fictitious. It has become a common practice to refer to the Armenians in order to distort this or that material or to throw mud.   Today many demonstrations are organized during which it’s very easy to use the word Armenian as a curse. Newspapers also make propaganda. For example, newspapers often refer to Abdullah Öcalan’s being Armenian. I think, the news do not correspond to reality, as he did not announce such a thing, and as long as a person doesn’t say it,  it is meaningless for me what mixtures there are in his family.

-What do you think, will the Turkish-Kurdish clashes continue, or the destabilization of the situation is an attempt by the leading political party before the elections to receive more votes?

-The votes of today’s’ leading political party will not undergo any changes, all the experts claim that the new elections will result in the same way as the previous ones did. It is worthy to speak about the issue whether there will be any elections or not. If there are no elections, the country will face many severe troubles. For instance, war against Syria might start and it is impossible to make a choice during war. Or the situation might escalate in the areas inhabited by the Kurds, military zones might be announced. It will be very favorable for the President if the Kurds do not participate in the elections, i.e. normal elections held in the western provinces and not in the eastern ones. This is unacceptable. Elections with the participation of half of the country’s people must not be considered legal.

Interview by Araks Kasyan