Pashinyan’s departure will be a disaster for Ankara, says political scientist

Speaking with Alpha News, political scientist Robert Ustyan commented on the position of Turkey and Azerbaijan around the protests in Yerevan and noted that Ankara is well aware that Pashinyan is a historical opportunity for them.

“Official Baku does not want anything to happen to Pashinyan, does not want him to be overthrown. There is a clear understanding in Baku that they will sign a peace agreement under Pashinyan, who is ready to make concessions. Otherwise, this whole process will get out of control, and the arrival of a new person will bring Azerbaijan back to the beginning of this process, or may even disrupt the process.

Ankara also understands very well that Pashinyan is a historic opportunity for them to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and build, if not good neighborly, at least some kind of relationship with Armenia. Turkey now follows Armenian events more than many events in the world. Everyone at the Turkish Foreign Ministry really wishes Mr. Pashinyan to withstand these protests because Ankara considers the arrival of another person a disaster, practically the destruction of the negotiation process.

In this case, Turkey will have to completely reconsider its entire approach to the South Caucasus because now it is building everything on the fact that Pashinyan will remain and will follow a certain road map that is agreed upon and conditioned with both Azerbaijan and Turkey. For Ankara, Mr. Pashinyan’s departure will be a regional disaster,” Ustyan said.