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Tigranuhi Martirosyan

Ruben Melkonyan: No Need for Sargsyan to Attend Inauguration of New Turkish President

When asked by this reporter if the upcoming visit by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan to Turkey to participate in the August 28 swearing in ceremony of newly elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would result in tangible developments in Armenian-Turkish relations, Ruben Melkonyan, Deputy Dean of Yerevan State University’s Faculty of Oriental Studies, responded that the visit would allow Nalbandyan to reiterate Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s invitation to the Turkish president to attend ceremonies in Yerevan next year marking the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Melkonyan said he expected Erdoğan to decline the invitation in a statement couched in diplomatic niceties.

He added that the visit by the foreign minister and Armenian-Turkish relations in general will be the focus of the Turkish media during the visit.

When asked if President Serzh Sargsyan should attend the swearing in ceremony, given that it is the first time that an Armenian government official will be participating in the inauguration of a Turkish President, Melkonyan said it wouldn’t be appropriate since the two countries have no diplomatic relations.

“The borders are closed and there are many unresolved issues. Turkey openly supports Azerbaijan regarding the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and engages in anti-Armenian measures. In this context, President Sargsyan’s visit would be inappropriate,” Melkonyan said.

Melkonyan said that perhaps Armenia could have sent its deputy foreign minister instead.

In conclusion, Melkonyan noted that Armenia and Turkey have chosen a more civil version of contact despite the crude statements of both countries’ presidents regarding the other, and that this was to be welcomed. 

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