Garo Paylan weighs in on Aliyev’s ‘biggest fear’ and Erdogan’s deliberations regarding Armenian border opening

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Residents of Turkish towns near the border with Armenia want the border to be opened because they realize it would be beneficial for them, according to former Turkish Member of Parliament Garo Paylan. 

“The Turkish cities and settlements near the border of Turkey and Armenia are very poor,” Paylan told Armenpress at Yerevan Dialogue forum when asked about the possible opening of the land border. “Therefore, these cities are waiting for the Armenian-Turkish border to open, because it would be beneficial for them. Elsewhere in Turkey people also understand that the opening of borders would be beneficial, and from this perspective there is certain pressure on [President] Erdogan.”

Paylan claimed that Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan is weighing up the pros and cons to make a decision in this regard: If the benefits are greater than the losses he will open the border, but it will remain closed if Erdogan deems losses would exceed the benefits in case of opening.

Paylan said Erdogan was in favor of opening the Armenian-Turkish land border after the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, but not anymore. “Western countries are trying to convince Erdogan to open the borders, and the future roads and connection routes to be used by regional countries,” he said.

Speaking about the Armenian-Turkish normalization process, Paylan said, “Unfortunately the Turkey-Armenia relations aren’t normal now. Both sides have issues, Turkey has problems with Greece too, but their borders are open, they have trade, flow of tourists, they have diplomatic relations. The problems between Armenia and Turkey won’t end, but first of all it is necessary to open the borders and then for the parties to start resolving these issues.”

Paylan described Erdogan as an “opportunist” who advances his own interests above all. He said Erdogan doesn’t care what’s happening elsewhere around the world, he only cares about where to gain bigger benefits from. The former Turkish MP attached importance to Crossroads of Peace project developed by the Armenian government in terms of achieving regional peace. Paylan said Armenia’s geographic location is the key in terms of unblocking of regional connections.

“The United States and the European Union should talk to Erdogan, so that he convinces Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to sign the peace treaty with Armenia,” Paylan said, stressing that now is the time to do so.

Speaking about the likelihood of Armenia and Azerbaijan eventually signing a peace treaty, Paylan said, “Unfortunately Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is maximalist, because as a leader of an authoritarian country he thinks he would lose his enemy in person of Armenia if he were to establish peace with Armenia. This is Aliyev’s biggest fear, because after establishing peace and the start of contacts between the peoples, the Azerbaijanis will ask him why Armenians are prospering while they are living in poverty.”

Turkey and other countries must pressure Azerbaijan to establish peace with Armenia, according to Paylan. At the same time, Paylan said that Erdogan and Aliyev are alike in terms of having the need for artificial or made-up enemies.

Paylan highlighted the Yerevan Dialogue forum for bringing together renowned individuals from around the world to discuss the future. 

“Armenia needs to strengthen its economy, diplomacy, its universities, to build a more powerful country,” Paylan said.