Alexander Markarov: “Erdogan's statement is no more than imitation!”

The prime minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the statement in parliament concerning the genocide of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey, having expressed condolences to grandsons of the lost Armenians.
Many experts were surprised by already fact of such speech of the Turkish prime minister who declared that «events occurred during World War I, carried-away the lives of millions people of different religions and nationalities and brought to such inhumane measures as resettlement of people, shouldn’t become a hindrance for sympathy establishment between Turks and Armenians and mutual manifestation of human approach and behavior».
What does Erdogan’s statement mean and will the Armenian-Turkish relationship change after it was told? We asked to comment on a situation the known political scientist of the deputy vice rector of the Yerevan State University, the director of the branch of Institute of CIS countries Alexander Markarov.
- Any statements which were before from the Turkish side had the general character. The genocide facts in the Ottoman Empire generally were directly denied in them. And it were no special statements, but simply general phrases in any interview or in negotiation process. But here such, it is possible to tell, dot statements I don’t remember.
Why Erdogan made the similar statement? Many now ask this question. It seems to me that we can allocate a number of the factors which are at different levels and in various planes.
The first. It is though small, but motions in the Turkey concerning the fact of genocide in the territory of the Ottoman Empire, and in the Republic of Turkey in principle. Also it is a question not only of Armenians, but also of Greeks, Assyrians, other people. Probably, it is not the most essential factor, but it is.
The second. It is clear that in the conditions of approach of centenary anniversary of tragic events it is necessary to Turkey to react to this date somehow. It is clear that today it is already impossible to deny the fact of genocide absolutely; it won’t be possible to suppress it too. It means, anyway, but Turkey all the same should react somehow.
The third. Here already the foreign policy factor works: recently the statement committee of the Congress of the USA on the issue of recognition of events of 1915 as genocide was accepted. Taking into account the nature of relationship of Turkey and the USA it is such call for the Turkish government which shows that Americans pay a certain attention to this subject. How America can affect Turkey in this plan is a single question, but here a call is rather unpleasant fact for Turkey.
The fourth. It is necessary to mention the recent speech of the president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan who let know that Armenia can reconsider the position concerning initialing of the contract which was signed by the Armenian and Turkish parties in Switzerland. Armenia can quite withdraw the signature under this document which was discussed by both parties in 2009.
Now about what the prime minister of Turkey actually told? Erdogan expressed condolences to descendants of Armenians who underwent genocide. Thus he didn’t use the word «genocide» and didn’t bring any apologies!
I will note that literally in couple of days after that Erdogan’s statements the Turkish representative declared that the Turkish side is ready to go for dialogue with the Armenian party only in case of withdrawal of the Armenian forces from the territory round Nagorno-Karabakh. That is, it is a question of the same policy which Turkey adhered since the beginning of the 90th years.
Well and if to return to substantial part of the statement of Erdogan, it is obvious that it was directed not only and not so much to Armenia, as first of all, to the world community. Say, Turkey regrets that occurred during World War I. But Erdogan here collected everything in one heap, having mixed both the victim and the criminal. All his words were indistinct and uncertain.
What was as a result? This statement gave nothing in respect of the bilateral relations, and it is rather difficult to expect positive motions in this regard. All the matter is that imitation elements which don’t allow to speak about substantial change in policy of Turkey continue to be present at the statement of the prime minister of Turkey.