We Armenians Cannot Trust Any Great Power Indefinitely and Must Ensure Our Self-Defense Ourselves: Bagrat Estukyan

A special interview prepared by Ermenihaber.am with Bagrat Estukyan, editor of the Armenian section of the "Agos" weekly newspaper in Turkey, and a well-known public figure within the Armenian community, addresses the challenges facing the Armenian community in Istanbul, Turkey's political developments, and other topics.

- Mr. Estukyan, let’s start with the issues facing the Istanbul Armenian community. What challenges and questions remain pressing and relevant?

- The main issue continues to be the election of the Patriarch. This is connected to the community institution elections as well, which have been unable to take place for a long time due to the preparation of a new charter. Among these bodies are institutions that manage significant funds, so it is important for them to have an elected administration. This is the most important issue. Resolving this problem could also ease the division presently prevailing in the community. Today, there is division because the community lacks an elected leader, lacks a leader who inspires confidence, and as a result, has lost its unity. By ensuring these elections, we can regain and restore that unity. This aspect is crucial. However, there is also another phenomenon; the general issues of Armenians in Turkey are markedly connected to the country’s socio-economic and political system. This is also an issue that affects us. Today, on one hand, Turkey is facing an economic crisis, and on the other hand, it has become a country with various problems in terms of international politics. We are not immune to this either. Today, Turkey may have good communications with Russia, and is also trying to establish good relations with the United States and countries in the Middle East. However, as a result of these communications, it has received more animosity and problems. Today, Egypt has become an enemy country to Turkey, Syria has naturally become an enemy country, and Iraq as well. In the region, Turkey finds itself in a rather difficult situation.

- What risks do you think the activation of Turkey’s military-technical cooperation with Russia and the warming of relations create for Armenia?

- Turkey has always adopted a denationalizing and rejecting approach toward Armenia. At the same time, Russia is Armenia's most important ally. However, the same Russia is one of the countries supplying weapons to Azerbaijan. Therefore, we Armenians cannot trust any great power indefinitely and must always ensure our self-defense ourselves. No matter how small our country is, no matter how limited our forces, we must first avoid war, not allow a war to take place; but if a necessity arises and war becomes inevitable, then so be it; we have already proven that we are not afraid of war. Nevertheless, war is a crime against humanity, and we should not choose the path of war until we are forced to do so. But we also cannot entrust our security to anyone; it is us who must ensure it.

Continued on Ermenihaber.am