“The Artsakh Armenians’ attitude to the Armenia-Turkey normalization process is actually predetermined by the fact that Azerbaijan has made the Nagorno-Karabakh problem hostage to the Armenian-Turkish relations,” said the historian Mher Harutyunyan, Head of the Kachar research center.

He pointed out that Turkey and Azerbaijan are doing their best to link the two processes.

“From this point of view, the Artsakh Armenians are overcautious about the ongoing political processes. Quite another matter is if the Armenia-Turkey normalization process is viewed in the context of establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, lifting of Armenia’s blockade and restoration of other ties. The steps being made in this direction are likely to produce positive results. However, in the context of our triunity (Armenia-Karabakh-Diaspora) and the Turkish society, many issues remain open. Our millions-strong Diaspora was chiefly formed as a result of Turkey’s genocidal policy toward Armenians. Our people, which had for centuries been subjected to persecution and violence by the Turkish authorities, cannot forget it so easily,” Harutyunyan said.

He said that the Armenian President’s meetings with Diasporan representatives were “a most important initiative aimed at specifying certain issues.”