European Parliament’s resolution incapable of changing realities in the region - ANALYSIS

European Parliament’s resolution incapable of changing realities in the region - <span style="color: red;">ANALYSIS
# 16 April 2015 12:45 (UTC +04:00)

Thereafter, the European Parliament adopted a 12-point resolution on the "Armenian genocide" on April 15. As, the European Parliament recognized the "Armenian genocide" in 1987, there was no need to adopt such a resolution. The recent resolution includes paragraphs covering the importance of Turkey’s accepting "genocide" and recognition of "genocide" by the EU member states.

The 4th paragraph of the resolution directly affects the interests of Azerbaijan. That paragraph says that Turkey must unconditionally fulfill the protocols signed with Armenia in Switzerland. In other words, Brussels “advises” Ankara not taking the fact of Azerbaijan's occupied territories into account in the policy of opening borders with Armenia.

This approach is contrary to the European Parliament's previous resolutions. The European Parliament’s resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh respect the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and stress the importance of liberation of the occupied territories. Thus, the European Parliament must have added sentence “The settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be accelerated along with the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations” to the 4th paragraph of the resolution.

The pro-Armenian resolution of the European Parliament too, just like that of the Pope, has no legal weight. This document does not force Turkey to do anything. This is no secret to members of the European Parliament, either. For example, during the discussion of the resolution on the so-called Armenian genocide, President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz left the audience, giving his place to his deputy. By this means, the president must have tried to avoid undermining relations with Turkey because of the Armenian lobby’s naughtiness. On the other hand, the Armenian lobby was working hard to have Turkey’s EU membership connected with the recognition of the so-called genocide in the resolution of the European Parliament. But it did not work. Despite adopting a resolution on the “genocide”, the European Parliament did not fulfill this desire of the Armenian lobby. It would also be worth mentioning that following the Pope’s remarks on the so-called genocide, Vatican released a statement honoring its relations with Turkey and aiming to pacify Ankara. And reports that the Pope would not go to Yerevan over the “the 100th jubilee of the genocide” disappointed the Armenian lobby.

The lobby’s efforts for “the 100th anniversary of the genocide” are also aimed against Azerbaijan, not only Turkey. The Armenian lobby is seeking to both cause a problem for Turkey on an international scale and win the West’s sympathy over the invasion of Azerbaijani lands. The Azerbaijani government, political parties and society understand it. It is no coincidence that both the Pope’s remarks and the European Parliament’s resolution on the so-called genocide were met with a negative reaction in Azerbaijan, too. The fact that Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, Presidential Administration officials, MPs strongly condemned the resolution can be considered an expression of apparent support to Turkey in the current situation.

The Pope’s statement and the European Parliament’s resolution are kind of support to the Armenian lobby’s efforts. This support to the lobby means support to Armenia. And that ultimately means Vatican and the European Parliament justify Armenia’s invasion of Azerbaijani lands.

The Armenian lobby’s next target is the United States. The primary ambition of Lobbyist circles is to have US President Barack Obama use the word “genocide” in his message to Armenians on April 24. Before his election as president, Obama had promised to the Armenian lobby that he would recognize the “genocide”. However, he did not use this word a single time over his 6-year presidency in the White House. Because while Obama’s struggle for power used to push him for earning the vote of various communities and making promises that are hard to fulfill, now US national and security interests are more important than promises. These interests dictate close cooperation with Turkey, a democratic and secular Muslim country in mixed Eurasia.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby have strictly prepared themselves for the so-called genocide’s 100th anniversary. The recognition campaign for the “genocide” is yet to continue for a couple of days, and some heads of state will receive invitations (many being to turn down the invitation) to join the 24 April event in Yerevan. However, the lobby’s efforts will go to waste. Because 24 April will be followed by 25 April, and Vatican, the European Parliament and the United States will put Armenia on one scale and Turkey and Azerbaijan on the other. Big states have long ago defined for themselves which scale will outweigh the other. Efforts of the Armenian lobby and the Armenian state, which is under its influence, to muddy the water are incapable of changing the realities in the region.

Azerbaijan and Turkey will celebrate on 24 April a more glorious event – the 100th anniversary of the Victory in Canakkale Battle.

Elkhan Shahinoglu, Head of the Atlas Research Center

Exclusively for APA

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