Why did Davutoğlu meet Armenian delegates?
Political analyst Richard Giragosian was one of the five people to meet Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.
Representatives of five NGOs from Armenia, who were participating in a conference in Turkey, were surprised to be invited to the Turkish Foreign Ministry to meet with Davutoğlu.
During the meeting, they conveyed several important messages to the Turkish FM, which were not warmly welcomed by the Turkish official.
"We said that the burden of Armenian-Turkish relations fully lies with Turkey - the country that halted the peace process between the two nations. Armenia cannot wait for ever," said Giragosian.
The second message concerns the Armenian Genocide of 1915 perpetrated by Ottoman Empire.
"We explained to the Turkish FM that two major issues - Genocide and Karabakh conflict -link Armenia to the Diaspora. It is unfair of Turkey to connect these two issues," said the political analyst.
"Finally, we told Davutoğlu that they will gain nothing by ignoring the Armenian Diaspora. Armenian-Turkish Protocols have died out and we should certify their death," Giragosian said.
Azerbaijan's big brother concerned
During the meeting with the Turkish FM, Richard Giragosian understood that the relationship between Turkey and Azerbaijan is not as perfect as it seems to be.
"In fact, Turkey does not have problems with Armenia, but with Azerbaijan," said Giragosian.
The political analyst assured Davutoğlu that "Armenia is not going to die while waiting for Turkey to open its borders."
"Turkey came to realize that it cannot settle issues by closing borders and worsening relations. Turkey is concerned about the possible resumption of war by Azerbaijan and is trying to keep Azerbaijan at the negotiating table," he said.
Giragosian says their meeting with Davutoğlu was not accidental.
"Earlier that day, the Turkish FM had met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Turkey wants to show the world that the Armenian-Turkish peace deal is still possible to revive."
Giragosian does not expect any breakthrough in Armenian-Turkish relations before 2015 - the 100th anniversary of the Genocide. However, he notes that the number of people who want to open the border with Armenia is growing in Turkey.
Speaking about home political developments, Giragosian said, "The dialogue between the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) and the ruling coalition is a must at this moment regardless of the fact how it is interpreted by different political forces."
