By not visiting Turkey, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton showed her discontent with that state’s regional policy, Stepan Safaryan, the head of the Heritage parliamentary faction, told reporters July 6. Summing up the statements Clinton made during her regional visit, he pointed out that they contained several messages. Safaryan reminded the journalists that Clinton’s visit was an East European one, and her not visiting Turkey is evidence that the U.S. is not viewing the country as part of Eastern Europe.

Safaryan stressed that, in speaking of the Armenian-Turkish protocols, Clinton commended the Armenian authorities, pointing out that the ball was in Turkey’s court. Safaryan believes Clinton thus laid the whole responsibility for the failed negotiations on Turkey. As regards Clinton’s visit to the Memorial to Armenian Genocide victims, Safaryan called it a symbolic gesture Clinton made thereby giving Turkey to understand something. Another important “message” concerns a peaceful settlement of the regional situation. “The U.S. Secretary of State clearly stated that there can be no alternative to a peaceful settlement of the conflict,” Safaryan said.

According to him, the message was addressed to Azerbaijan, which is regularly making warlike statements and resorting to military provocations. Therefore, Azerbaijan must make serious conclusions and realize that things of paramount importance have been thrown into the scale and that the superpowers will allow any threat against them. “Gas mains and oil interests have thrown into the scales, and Azerbaijan’s whims must not pose a threat to all this,” Safaryan said.