What is happening around Armenian-Turkish normalization is  consequence of Yerevan`s incompetent foreign policy - expert

ArmInfo. The Armenian authorities have been conducting intensive negotiations with Turkey for four years now, which operates on the principle of "not a step back without normalizing relations with Azerbaijan." This was  recently confirmed once again by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan  Fidan, who stated that as soon as the final agreement between Armenia  and Azerbaijan is signed, Ankara will also quickly normalize  relations with Yerevan. "All this, of course, would be very funny if  it were not so sad," wrote political analyst Tigran Dumikyan in his  article.

He recalled that immediately after the initialing of the agreement on  the establishment of peace and interstate relations between the  Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan in Washington, RA  Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan literally stated that Turkey no  longer has any reason to refuse to normalize bilateral relations with  Armenia.

"It turns out that there is. Otherwise, the results of the sixth  meeting in four years with Turkey's special representative for  normalization of relations with Armenia Serdar Kilic, who arrived in  Yerevan, would have recorded concrete progress. Instead, the Armenian  public has been listening to many statements for four years. Based on  the above, the question arises: where is the result? Where is the  guarantee that after the launch of the "Trump Path" the  Armenian-Turkish border will open? After all, Turkey has already  begun implementing the multi-billion dollar Kars-Igdir-Nakhichevan  railway project, which, as planned, will connect with the railway  passing through Syunik.

Meanwhile, the idea of creating a commission to launch the almost  completed Kars-Gyumri railway is still being discussed. As the  American inventor Charles Kettering would say on this matter, if you  want to fail a project, create a commission to study it," the  political scientist noted.

He added that what is happening is a consequence of the incompetent  foreign policy of the Armenian side, which relies more on the mercy  of others than on initiative. "At the same time, others either often  forget the name of our country, mentioning "Albania", or simply  question our sovereign existence, calling it "Western Azerbaijan".  Perhaps pessimists will ask: is there an alternative? Of course,  there is. It is simply necessary, without creating another  commission, to change with a single will that small group of people  who are guided by the well-known formula: no matter what happens,  they will not consider themselves defeated," Tigran Dumikyan  emphasized.

On September 12, the RA MFA issued a statement in which it reported  on the results of the sixth meeting of special representatives for  the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations - Vice  Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Ruben  Rubinyan and Ambassador Serdar Kilic. The statement emphasized that  the Special Representatives reiterated the issues discussed and  agreed upon during the previous meetings to advance the process of  full normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey. In this  context, they exchanged views on the implementation of the border  crossing agreement reached during the meeting on July 1, 2022. The  Special Representatives agreed to expedite this process.  They also  agreed that the relevant authorities of the two countries will  conduct the necessary technical studies for the restoration and  operation of the Gyumri-Kars railway and power transmission line. The  emissaries also agreed to implement efforts to strengthen cooperation  in the cultural and academic fields, in particular through the  creation of scholarship opportunities for university students and the  joint reconstruction of the historic Ani Bridge. The Special  Representatives also agreed to carry out the necessary work to ensure  that interested airlines can operate flights to different  destinations starting from the summer of 2026, which will increase  the number of air routes between the two countries.