The Turkish Parliament is neither sure nor unlikely to ratify the Armenian-Turkish protocols next spring, the Armenian political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan told reporters.

The only factor that might prevent Ankara from ratifying the protocols is the possibility of the 2011 parliamentary elections being brought forward to 2010. As regards the Turkish leaders’ statements containing preconditions or ultimatums, as well as the Armenian side’s statements on the possibility of its invalidating the protocols, Iskandaryan considers them means of political pressure. “The Armenian side tried to show that time limits do exist, and a timeframe is of high importance here,” he said.

According to him, a reopened border means both ample opportunities and serious challenges for Armenia. Among them is, particularly, the country’s capability to cope with a possible inflow of migrant workers and compete with a large market. However, Iskandaryan said, Armenia must be ready for that, as “we cannot live tinned forever.”

T.P.