Turkish expert: Erdogan will recognize the Armenian Genocide, sensing the possibility of receiving dividends from this
ArmInfo. If no changes are made in the authoritarian government of Turkey in the near future, positive progress will not be expected in the normalization of the Armenian- Turkish relations in the foreseeable future. The teacher of Utrecht University and the researcher of the Institute of War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies (NIOD) Usur Umit Ungor expressed this opinion, responding to the question of ArmInfo.
"Therefore, now it is important to talk about this authoritarian regime not only in the context of the Armenian-Turkish relations, but also relations with the Kurds, since until the last three years we have seen quite good relations between Turkey and representatives of the Kurdistan Workers' Party. But because of the actions of the authoritarian regime, these relations have been destroyed," the expert said.
At the same time, he stressed the absence in the future of an alternative to full normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations, the establishment of diplomatic relations, the opening of the border. According to him, positive and negative news exist in this issue. "It's good that we are here today in Yerevan and successfully interact at the level of civil societies of Armenia and Turkey (the International Scientific Conference" Armenia-Turkey: the search for dialogue "- Ed.). The bad news is that we have placed all our hopes on politicians in the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations. However, our approach should be not only vertically from the top down, when politicians dictate us what we should do, but also from the bottom up. We must make our governments establish a dialogue, restore diplomatic relations," Ungor said.
Answering the question of possibility of recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the President Erdogan, the expert expressed confidence that if Erdogan feels dividends he will do that. According to him, everything depends on view of the Turkish society on this to that question.
"If the process of recognition starts in the society, Erdogan will start to take steps on that direction. I mean, it is needed to start to train the society - the pupils, students, to reach the changes in the future. If someday Erdogan wake up and decide to recognize the Armenian Genocide, to apologies for the deeds and lay flowers to the Memorial of the Victims of Armenian Genocide, he will receive Nobel Prize the same day, but I do not think he is ready for that right now", Ungor summed up.