If the Armenian-Turkish Protocols are signed, the textbooks on Armenian history will be substantially revised, Vahan Hovhannisyan, member of the ARF Bureau, told a press conference.

According to him, both Armenian and foreign experts are of the unanimous opinion that the Armenian-Turkish Protocols contain numerous points posing threat to the Armenian side. “Unfortunately, the authorities’ steps to resolve the country’s urgent problems cannot be considered mature. In compiling the Protocols, Armenian diplomacy slipped up and is unable to defend the Armenian people’s interests now, whereas Turkey succeeded in getting two of its preconditions (formation of a scientific commission and inviolability of borders) into the documents,” Hovhannisyan said. He stressed that Turkish officials are also constantly speaking of the third precondition: Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be settled before Armenia and Turkey establish diplomatic relations. Hovhannisyan believes that the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process will intensify immediately after the Armenian-Turkish Protocols are signed, and a settlement scheme based on the Madrid Principles will be imposed on the sides. “The current situation resembles a football match between Armenian and Turkish officials. Nagorno-Karabakh is a ball for Turkey — Premier Erdogan and Foreign Minister Davutoglu pass it to each other. Time and again the Armenian side represented by Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan makes futile attempts to join the game,” Hovhnnisyan said. The Armenian authorities are well aware of the threats the Protocols are fraught with, but they are content with the international community’s “ovations”, which will die down immediately after the Protocols are signed, Hovhannisyan said.

The ARF member also stressed that states are not at all obliged to recognize borders to establish diplomatic relations. “For example, Russia and Japan established diplomatic relations, with a territorial dispute unsettled,” he said. Hovhannisyan wished the Armenian authorities to conduct negotiations with Turkey “with credit”. On the other hand, he wished Turkey “more aggression” to make protests even stronger in Armenia, which may prevent the signing of the Protocols.