Monday, February 29 2016 04:55

While Ankara is again playing "the Armenian card", the behavior of Armenia's official representatives in various international organizations gives reason to believe that Yerevan is not prepared to adequately respond to the new political approaches and initiatives of Turkey, ex-foreign minister of Artsakh, analyst Arman Melikyan has told ArmInfo.    

"For instance, it will be no surprise to me if Turkish President Recep Erdogan decides to take effective steps - e.g. to renovate the Armenian Apostolic Church's autonomous Akhtamar Catholicosate inside the recently restored monastery complex on Lake Van - in a bid to enlist the support of foreign Armenians.        

The analyst points out that amid the exacerbating military and political crisis in the Russian-Turkish relations, such initiatives of the Turkish political strategists can bring certain dividends to Ankara in the course of time. For instance, they can help those strategists enlist the support of the Armenian Diaspora.  

Melikyan notes that Ankara has long been using the Armenian community's physical presence in Turkey, mainly in Istanbul, as a vivid counter-argument that enhanced the efficiency of Turkey's policy of the Armenian Genocide denial. 

"Last year, however, this traditional policy was radically revised and three ethnic Armenians became members of the Turkish Parliament. This enabled Turkey to start playing a new "Armenian card" amid the present-day geopolitical processes. To all appearance, this is being done to launch revision of the traditional political views in the mass consciousness of Armenians - not only those living in Turkey," the analyst says.