Armenian Reporter:

In Moscow and Istanbul, Armenians react to protocols with caution and concern (updated)

“Normalization, but at what price?”

Published: Thursday September 10, 2009

Serkis Seropyan and Ara Abramyan.

Yerevan - Reaction in the Armenian diaspora to Armenia-Turkey "soccer diplomacy" and specifically to the protocols unveiled on August 31 has been mixed. It is widely accepted that Armenia and Turkey must conquer the heavy burden of the past; Turkey must end its blockade of Armenia; and the two countries must establish normal bilateral relations. But many people have raised questions about the circumstances of Turkey's stated willingness to open the border with Armenia and are asking whether Armenia and the Armenian people are paying too high a price for normal relations with Turkey.

Under the protocols, which require parliamentary ratification, Turkey agrees to open the border and establish diplomatic relations with Armenia, and Armenia agrees to a controversial historical commission and recognizes existing borders.

All three traditional political parties of the diaspora - the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the Armenian Democratic Liberal (Ramgavar) Party, and the Social-Democratic Hunchakian Party - have stated that the ratification of the protocols in their current form would be unacceptable. The Armenian Assembly of America has publicly defended the protocols. According to the presidential press service, Berge Setrakian, president of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, on September 4 told President Serge Sargsian, "the AGBU supports the latest Protocols on normalization of the relations between Armenia and Turkey and attaches importance to the fact that they do not contain any preconditions." [The AGBU Central Board of Directors did not immediately respond to the Armenian Reporter’s request for confirmation, but did issue a statement on September 11. See story.]

Moscow-Armenians react

The country with the largest number of Armenians outside Armenia is Russia. Yuri Navoyan, president of the Russian-Armenian Cooperation Union, told the Armenian Reporter by telephone from Moscow that the publication of the protocols was unexpected, and the lack of notice helped create a negative impression of the agreement. Armenians in Russia are ill disposed to the agreement, according to Mr. Navoyan, because Armenia has acquiesced to at least two Turkish preconditions.

"The protocols confirm the Armenia-Turkey border de jure. Second, the protocols fail to affirm the Armenian Genocide; instead Armenia acquiesces to the creation of a historical commission, or, in other words, agrees to create a controversy about the incontrovertible fact of the Armenian Genocide."

Mr. Navoyan did not deny that the Russian-Armenian and specifically Moscow-Armenian communities are diverse, but said that people tend to agree on issues of national significance. He would not be surprised to see rallies against the protocols organized in Moscow and other heavily Armenian-populated cities in Russia.

The president of the powerful Union of Armenians in Russia, Ara Abramyan, told the Armenian Reporter that he is well disposed toward Armenia-Turkey dialogue, "but there is a but: in matters of Armenia's national security - the Genocide, Karabakh, the border - there can be no concessions," he said.

Where did Karabakh go?

"First question: is the opening of the border good or bad? We think that in an economic sense it is good. But we are opposed to the opening of the border if that is at the cost of putting an end to our demands. That means we are once and for all acquiescing to the borders that exist. We believe that justice will prevail and we will receive our lands in Western Armenia. In this matter, there is no unanimity of opinion; this is an open question for us," Mr. Abramyan said from Moscow.

"Second: the Karabakh issue. They say the Turks have taken the Karabakh issue off the agenda. I can consider that a positive, but if they have taken it off the agenda, then where did that issue go? I'd prefer to see the issue remain where we could see it. If the documents do not contain references to the issue, that does not mean that Turkey has changed its former position. There is a complete lack of clarity here too," Mr. Abramyan continued.

"Third: the Genocide issue. They say if you want to bury an issue, give it to a committee. With the creation of the sub-commission on the historical dimension, we are legalizing the postponement of the recognition of the Genocide. Until now we were yelling and screaming for countries to recognize the events as genocide. Now, even the United States will say, ‘You have formed a committee, you're studying it; what is it you want from us?'" concluded Mr. Abramyan, while emphasizing that he welcomes President Serge Sargsian's efforts to normalize Armenian-Turkish relations.

Istanbul-Armenians react

The Armenians of Istanbul - of which there are perhaps 60 to 80 thousand - are perhaps the most sensitive to the question of Armenia-Turkey relations. Armenians living in Turkey have long favored normal relations, living as they do in a country that is unfriendly toward Armenia.

Robert Haddejian is the editor of Marmara Armenian daily, published in Istanbul. He acknowledges that the August 31 protocols represent a step toward the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.

"But contradictory statements continue to be made; they are always talking about preconditions. I am not personally optimistic that soon a bilateral Armenia-Turkey, or should I say a trilateral Turkey-Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement will be reached. All the same, I consider this progress because a good impression was made on public opinion. But we must still wait for Armenia and Turkey to truly come closer together," Mr. Haddejian said by phone from his editorial office.

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