YEREVAN. - Turkish government declares itself successor to the Ottoman Empire only when it appears profitable, Turkologist Ruben Melkonyan told journalists on Monday.

According to him, it was the desire to extract the maximum benefit of political situation that prevailed over the apologies of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for massacres in Dersim, since he put the entire blame on the Republican People's Party, which is the main opposition party in Turkey. 

Melkonyan argues that since such statements aim only for political gains, one can hardly expect that in near future, a similar statement would be voiced in regard to the Armenian Genocide, the exchange of unpleasant remarks on Armenian Diaspora between Erdogan and the leader of the Republican People's Party Kemal Kilicdaroglu be an outright example of it.

The expert is not optimistic towards recognition of the Armenian Genocide by  Israeli Knesset either.

"Israel is keeping this issue on the agenda of its own political interests," said Melkonyan.

According to him, this equally applies to the bill on criminalizing denial of Armenian Genocide in France as well.

"All political statements are made with a focus on the interests of presidential candidates," he added.