Arthur Ghazinyan: Turkey Expects Pashinyan to Close the Armenian Question Before Opening the Border

On June 20, Prime Minister Pashinyan's political decision to hold snap parliamentary elections was met with mixed reactions from Armenia's political circles. Arthur Ghazinyan, the founder of the 'One Armenia' party, noted on his Facebook page that some immediately announced their intention to participate in the elections, while others have not yet revealed their stance, harboring deep mistrust towards Pashinyan and his government.

Meanwhile, Turkey quickly welcomed Pashinyan's political decision to hold the snap parliamentary elections. “However, there is a much more crucial question: why was June 20 chosen, what political calculations does Pashinyan have, and what actions will he take before his resignation? Here lies the greatest danger against Armenian interests; one could even say a conspiracy,” Ghazinyan stated.

Pashinyan and his associates have repeatedly expressed their dreams of a 'dignified' defeat and normalizing relationships with Turkey and Azerbaijan, yet these relations remain unregulated. Pashinyan's and his team's special affection for Turkey is no longer a secret to anyone, but it remains unclear to many why Turkey has not yet opened its border with Armenia and why diplomatic relations have not been established.

Why haven’t Turkish and Azerbaijani funds flowed into Armenia to warm the spirits of its 'proud' citizens, especially since Pashinyan has already resolved the central issue that hindered these reconciliations—the Artsakh issue—by gifting it to Azerbaijan? Currently, power in Armenia is held by ideological heirs of the Young Turks, the Young Armenians, who are persistently fulfilling their forefathers' unfinished business.

Just before the elections, Pashinyan urgently needs tangible achievements to bolster his doctrine of peace; achievements that can be packaged and sold to the 'proud' citizens of Armenia as ‘peace’ when in fact they represent Turkish and pro-Azerbaijani policies. The answer is clear: Turkey expects Armenia's government and Pashinyan himself to abandon Armenian claims on April 24, forgive the Turks, and definitively close the Armenian Question. Only then will Turkey consider opening its border with Armenia, which Pashinyan could present as a significant achievement and a historical opportunity for enduring 'peace' and 'prosperity' in his electoral campaign,” Ghazinyan wrote on Facebook.