Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the U.S. offered an opportunity for accentuating anti-Armenian sentiments in Turkey-Azerbaijan alliance anew, Deputy Director of strategic research centre at the RA Defense Ministry Vahram Ter-Matevosyan told NEWS.am commenting on developments after Sargsyan-Erdogan meeting in Washington.

According to him, Washington statements by Erdogan and Davutoglu and comments on their meetings were widely water-cooled by world press due to major efforts. “Thus, a feasible information field proved to operate, catching and quite queerly commenting on Turkish leaders’ changed approach. Numerous opinions were voiced over Erdogan’s visit motives, but the fact that Erdogan-Aliyev tandem would not allow Sargsyan to visit Washington alone and make exceptionally Armenian stance heard was neglected. For Turkish Premier that visit was a chance to emphasize anti-Armenian alliance formed by Turkey and Azerbaijan. Another conclusion is forced upon – these meetings imply Erdogan’s growing sense of responsibility to his pledges to Azerbaijan. The latter seems to shift Karabakh conflict resolution full responsibility on to Turkey. He criticizes OSCE MG co-chairs seeking to assist the revision of Minsk Group format playing to Ankara’s hands,” the expert reckons.

Another conclusion concerns a regularity, that each year on the threshold of April 24 Ankara steps up efforts in preventing U.S. President to say the word “genocide”.

“Years ago Turkish officials were silent on this matter, but within last years their preventive actions and short-term results got more emphatic,” he said adding that the last and most critical observation is that speaking the language of primary and secondary preconditions is a new line of Ankara’s behavior. “If we try to recall and track the number and logic of preconditions voiced by Erdogan and Davutoglu, it leaves us with the impression that Turks are guided by &‘the more preconditions, the better’ principle. And this is done in contempt of Armenian authorities’ repeated statements that Armenia is ready to establish relations with Ankara without preconditions. Here is the Turkey’s new policy,” the expert deems.

“Hence, the passions in Washington ran so high that if till April 24 we would not evidence a drastic turn, meetings held there can be viewed as one of the main reasons for minimizing complex Armenia-Turkey process,” Ter-Matevosyan concluded.

S.T.