Historian: The Armenian Genocide has been and remains the cornerstone  of the Armenian-Turkish problems

ArmInfo. The Armenian Genocide committed by the Turks at the beginning of the last century, has been and remains the cornerstone of the Armenian-Turkish problems and  contradictions.  Director of the Institute of History of the National  Academy of Sciences of RA, Academician Ashot Melkonyan, expressed a  similar opinion to ArmInfo.

 "And I do not think at all that this problem can suddenly disappear  with the appointment and start of work of two special envoys for the  normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. 

Armenia's renunciation of the international policy of Genocide  recognition, Turkey had set as a precondition for Armenia even before  the 44-day war, that is, at a time when Armenia's positions were  significantly stronger and more favorable. And I do not think at all  that Ankara will suddenly decide to abandon this precondition now,  "he stressed.

According to the academician, Turkey's approach to the establishment  of diplomatic relations with Armenia has always been based on the  policy that the Armenians must renounce any demands on the Turks for  the genocide committed by the Young Turks. And only if the Armenians  agree to forget about the historical past in the name of friendship  between the two peoples, Ankara was ready to take reciprocal steps  towards Yerevan.

On January 11, a meeting between the deputy foreign ministers of  Armenia, Russia, Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan was held in Moscow in  the actual "3 + 2" format (without Georgia). On December 13, Turkish  Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that Yerevan and Ankara  will appoint Special Envoys for negotiations on the normalization of  relations. Later, the press secretary of the Armenian Foreign  Ministry welcomed Cavusoglu's statement, confirming Armenia's  intentions to appoint its special representative for the dialogue.

In this light, the historian recalled that back in 2001 Turkey  offered Armenia joint work towards mutual reconciliation within the  framework of the relevant commission. However, this process was  stopped already in 2003, later it was also unsuccessfully reanimated  in the form of "football" diplomacy, and now it is unfolding again in  conditions much more favorable for Turkey and Azerbaijan. In the  opinion of the academician the latter automatically casts doubt on  the possibility of the Turkish leadership having really peaceful  intentions.

"The observed caution of Yerevan in informing the Armenian society  about steps towards the normalization of relations with Turkey is  also conditioned by the Turkish policy of denial of the Genocide. All  this gives a high degree of sensitivity to the normalization of  relations with Turkey in such conditions, and, as a consequence, the  unwillingness of the Armenian authorities to inform the public about   "successes" in relations with Turkey. This is how this government  works, and this is how all previous governments worked, "the  academician summed up.