Acceptance shouldn't be rejected
They should have the last word

ANALYTICS  18 January 2023 - 18:01

“Türkiye has never threatened Armenia”, and it was not a representative of the Turkish authorities that said that, but a member of the Armenian parliament from the ruling “Civil Contract” party, Gurgen Arsenyan.

“The overriding objective of Russia’s military presence on the border with Türkiye is not for the preservation of Armenia, but a threat directed against Türkiye... Türkiye has never threatened Armenia. We have no evidence that Türkiye has ever threatened Armenia after its independence”, as quoted his statement read. 

The Armenian politician also noted, that now the authorities of the republic are going to settle relations with their neighbors on the basis of the principles of good-neighborliness and provide opportunities for further development of the country. If these goals are achieved, the Russian military presence will no longer be important to Armenia. And if Russian troops leave the country, Turkey will become “a regular neighbour” for Armenia.

There is a possibility that this signal is a test for all possible participants of the Caucasian game in order to either determine their position or simply blackmail them. However, perhaps we should not seriously engage in an analysis of this version, since only subjects, and not objects of international relations such as Armenia, could be satisfied with such controls.

On the contrary, if the Armenian policy statement is taken at face value, it gives food for thought.

The recent speech of the President of the French National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet in Yerevan, devoted to the fact that the French state does not recognize “independence” of Karabakh in accordance with international law, felt like a cold shower for the Armenian society, resulting in great disappointment in their long-standing patron, Paris. In terms of deteriorating relations with Russia, the Armenians have virtually no options for choosing a new and powerful military ally. Washington does not show any apparent interest in the protection of the Armenian borders. Under these conditions, who will stop “the Turkish expansion”? Iran? Unlikely. The risks are too great (although this topic certainly requires separate consideration).

The whole chain of events, starting with Azerbaijan’s victory in the 44-day war and ending with the recent statements of world powers, has increasingly strengthened the position in the region and the world of Azerbaijan in tandem with fraternal Türkiye. In this regard, it is interesting to quote the status comment of well-known Armenian analyst, Racha Arzumanyan, which he shared in his Telegram channel:

“The importance of remaining in reality.

Armenia will have to work long and hard to take its place in the region and the world in the 21st century... Every year, the US State Department publishes a list of ‘critical foreign languages’, the knowledge of which is encouraged by scholarships and gives an advantage when entering the service, etc. - Critical Languages Scholarship - CLS. These are the most popular languages in terms of ‘national security and economic competitiveness of the USA’. This year there were 15 languages, among them Azerbaijani - the only one from the post-Soviet space. There is a second level of ‘qualification language’ (qualifying languages), the knowledge of which provides bonuses. These are 61, including Armenian and Georgian. That is, the South Caucasus region is in the sphere of interest of the USA, but in the center of special attention from the State Department and the Pentagon is Azerbaijan. This is logical given the geopolitical situation and relations with Türkiye. In conclusion: It is necessary to work and have less fantasies connected with Russia and the West, in order to use the chance and catch up with the separating world. Armenia can take its own unique place, but continues to sit and wait for something”, his post read.

It is hard to say how the analyst sees Armenia’s place in the world and what he believes it should do instead of “sitting and waiting”, but it seems obvious that any neutral and sane person from the street, having read this note, would advise Armenia to urgently make friends with Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

Sober minds in Yerevan are beginning to realize that the country between the two Turkic states has no choice but to live with them in good neighbourliness. Integration with Türkiye and Azerbaijan would be the most brilliant solution from all points of view. No matter how many Armenians beat themselves in the chest about their mission as the custodian of Western civilization, they are, in essence, a post-Osman people, mentally more embedded in the Middle East and even take the liberty of asserting Turkic than Western European civilization pattern. Having a rich experience of trade and financial intermediation, the Armenian ethnic group would perfectly fit into the economic restructuring of the region. All that has to be done by the Armenian society in this regard is to officially renounce all kinds of claims against, both, their Western and Eastern neighbours. And that’s where the trouble begins. It is known that for more than a century the Armenian people have been imbued with ideas of national exclusivity, expansion of living space and Turkophobia. Such mentality is a natural obstacle to positioning oneself in a new coordinate system.

All are well aware that man does not live by bread alone and that people need an idea no less than material well-being. And the Armenian people, too, cannot be denied the right to an idea. The whole problem is that they have a bad idea.

According to the author of this article, the individual only achieves true personal and spiritual growth when he gives up illusions dictated by pride. Only the shock of the conflict between the imaginary and the real can inspire the illumination of man, giving him the impetus to realize his true potential. I think it is not a mistake to project this rule on people and communities.

The Armenian people, being naturally industrious and comprehensively gifted, are in the abyss of false ideas about themselves and their role in the world. If the Armenians, despite the shock of defeat in the 44-day war, discard these notions, they have every chance to really become a phenomenon of civilization, a Christian country - an ally of the Turkic world. I am also sure that in the Armenian language there will be beautiful words and phrases for a concise expression of this new identity...

True, it is always easier to talk than to act. The reflections on the above-mentioned people need considerable clarification. Only a small proportion of individuals are capable of a fundamental reassessment of their identity. Most people spend the rest of their lives suffering from complexes and ruining their lives. Again, extrapolating this fact to whole societies, we cannot have any confidence that the ideas of national exceptionalism, revenge, the “Miatsum” and “Greater Armenia” ideologies will not prevail again in the Armenian society, which has been enriched on the big trade routes. So the bigger question is, what is more advantageous for us - Armenia’s sleep-inducing “cure” or their permanent stay in a state of psychosis controlled by us?

I’m not sure the first answer is obvious.

Caliber.Az