YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. The ball in terms of the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations is in Turkey’s court, and it is Turkey that must take actions on this path, Editor of Armenian section of the Istanbul-based Agos daily Bagrat Estukian told Armenpress, commenting on the recent so-called exchange of “positive signals” between Yerevan and Ankara.

Mr. Estukian says at this moment Armenia has no need to negotiate and moreover sit at a bargaining table with Turkey, because Turkey has refused from establishing diplomatic relations with Armenia and it also has unilaterally closed the border. Therefore, Estukian added, Turkey must record progress on this matter, without expecting anything from the Armenian side.

“These days Erdogan [President of Turkey] is talking about a five-party agreement, meaning Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey and Iran, and doesn’t rule out that Georgia could be the 6^th factor. Whereas, our problem is bilateral. It is the following: immediately after the independence of Armenia, Turkey, by officially recognizing Armenia, has refused to establish diplomatic relations. Therefore, in this sense, the ball is in its court, it should take actions on this path. At the same time, citing the Artsakh war, Turkey has blocked the Armenia-Turkey land border. Here as well it should record progress without expecting anything from us, because these borders have been closed because of Turkey’s unilateral decision, not because of negotiations. Today, if the borders should reopen, it’s again Turkey’s unilateral decision. There is no material for negotiation with us. Therefore, we do not need to negotiate with Turkey or moreover, to sit around a bargaining table”, Bagrat Estukian said.  

According to Estukian, what Turkey’s Erdogan has recently said about the Armenian-Turkish relations received quite a broader reaction in Armenia than in Turkey itself. Estukian notes that Erdogan’s statements that Ankara is ready to work on gradually normalizing the relations with Armenia, was not a prepared statement, but just an offhand response to the journalist’s question.

“What President Erdogan said was not about plans. He expressed mood, and he has expressed that mood before, at the end of the 44-day war, stating that those relations in Caucasus, and of course, the Armenia-Turkey relations as well would gradually normalize. However, till now we have not seen any concrete action yet. Therefore, we have not taken into consideration that statement very seriously. It was not a discovery of any development, it was just a discovery of a mood”, Bagrat Estukian said.

Interview by Aram Sargsyan

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan