Saturday, September 06, 2008

The soccer game is over.

The soccer game between the Armenian and Turkish national teams is over. Mr. Gul has probably already returned to Ankara.

It's interesting to know what the tangible results of this shuttle diplomacy are. The pseudo-president SS and Gul apparently held a meeting over supper. The news media don't report more than the usual fluff about the 'effectiveness of face to face meetings', etc.

The funniest behavior during this visit was that of the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun. These guys are part of the government and yet they held protests today against Gul. My suggestion is - if you don't like the policy, get out of the government.

They want to have their cake and eat it, too...

6 comments:

Ani said...

Well, cynic that I sadly am, I can't help seeing the protests actually helping the government more than hurting it, with the EU review coming up shortly. Now it can be pointed out that protesting was allowed (by the false opposition, not the true one, but will the EU distinguish??) in a visible-to-the-world context. Not saying the true-believer Dashnaks see the protests that way, but perhaps those in the coalition ARE having some cake, no?

Unknown said...

I thing regardless of who benefits form the protest, and who organizes it, it was natural to have a protest of Turkish President in Armenia. I would even say that absent of any protest, or a reminder of unsettled issues would be absolutely abnormal and unnatural.

The government should do its thing, mending fences with neighbors, concerned citizens should do their thing, expressing protest to a head of hostile country.

As for Dashnaks, it is not the first instance they behave this ridiculous way.

Anonymous said...

The Dashnaks, with their 'Defenders-of-the-Republic' principles, were obliged to demonstrate against a Turkish leader coming into Armenia. But it was nothing more than a nominal show of resistance, when in practice they are in cahoots with Serzh and Robby selling the Republic out to the highest bidder - including the Turks.

This is just another brick in the multi-billion dollar wall I have been articulating for the past year, covered in my khosq post Serzh between a rock and a hard place (link added).

It is all falling into place - and now accelerated by the Georgian conflict.

Unknown said...

Bruce, may be I am missing here something....
But I think RK gave whatever was of any value in the republic not to the highest bidder, but gratis to the Russians in exchange to keep presidential chair.

Serj on the other hand appears in very tough situation. He was not elected legitimately, he is under huge pressure form inside and outside republic and he has got very little to bargain. But so far he is using the geopolitical situation in a right way. It is to be seen what he will achieve, but he was able:
1. to politely decline Russian demand to accept independence of breakaway Georgian republics by making a good point that if Armenia is going to recognize any of these, NKR is the first in the list.
2. He established dialog with Turkish, with nod from Russians and praise from the West.

I am far from being Serj supporter, but he is acting President of the republic, and the geopolitical situation in the region is a unique one. Not taking advantage of it (or at least trying) would be fatal error.

Haik said...

spm
people protested by booing the Turkish anthem and not standing up. That was good enough to show that Turkish government with their head is not welcomed to Armenia until they accept what they did to us.
It was a good enough referendum.

Ankakh_Hayastan said...

There has been very little sober analysis of the Gul visit and the ensuing issues that it raises except for Levon Ter-Petrosian's speech at the rally on September 15 (available at http://www.payqar.org/am/182) and Nikol Pashinian's more comprehensive analysis (available at http://www.payqar.org/am/80/item/631/)