By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow corresponden
Chairman of the House of Representatives of Cyprus Yiannakis Omirou was recently on a visit to Yerevan. He made an unexpected proposal. In particular, he told Armenian lawmakers about “the destabilizing role of Turkey in the region” and suggested that “a united front” needs to be created against the policy of Turkey.
“Cyprus and Armenia should intensify bilateral relations, combine their efforts in international organizations and take advantage of the Cypriot and Armenian Diasporas, creating a united front against the policy of Turkey. On behalf of the members of the House of Representatives [of Cyprus] and myself I express willingness to work in this direction,” Omirou said.
It is not known yet whether Armenia agreed to coordinate actions in this direction with Cyprus. In the official reports about the meetings of Omirou with the Armenian president, the speaker of the Armenian parliament there are only general phrases and assurances that the historical Armenian-Cypriot friendship will be continued.
Analysts are wondering what “a united front against the policies of Turkey” may mean. Is it simply a diplomatic term or an institutionalized front is emerging? And what role Armenia would have in this front that may also include other countries as well? Would it be a coalition like the one created against the Islamic State, for example?
Because of its notorious “zero problems with neighbors” policy Turkey in the past few years not only deepened its problems with neighbors, but also lost many allies. Turkey’s actions in Syria, its “disobedience” in NATO, its reluctance to help the coalition against the Islamic State leads to the fact that in the Western world they cease to perceive Turkey as an ally.
Political analyst Igor Muradyan believes that a policy of “global containment” of Turkey is being carried out in the world today and a major place is assigned to Armenia in this policy. However, he thinks that a close relationship between Turkey and Russia allow it, to some extent, to offset the pressure from the West and a number of regional countries.
Just in a few months’ time the world will be commemorating the victims of the Armenian Genocide on the 100th anniversary of the crime. A rug woven by orphans of Armenians killed by Ottoman Turks in the 1915 Genocide is on display at the White House Visitor’s Center these days (November 18-23). The rug was gifted to U.S. President Calvin Coolidge in 1925 and is evidence of the predatory policy of Turkey at the beginning of last century. Permission for the exhibition of the rug that has been mostly kept in storage since the Coolidge family returned it to the White House in 1982, was obtained with difficulty amid resistance from Turkey. In the world, many saw this as the first step towards the U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, which may become the detonator of the revision of relations with Turkey on a global scale.
Apparently, the countries that also suffered much at the hands of Turkey are also preparing for this occasion. Turkey currently occupies the northern part of Cyprus. “Despite the fact that Turkey’s actions are condemned internationally – in particular, on November 13 the European Parliament adopted a special resolution – Ankara’s violations are becoming more and more open and destabilize the entire region. At the same time, government and military leaders of Turkey openly threaten to use military force if the Republic of Cyprus continues to implement its sovereign rights. In these conditions, the Republic of Cyprus had to discontinue its participation in the negotiations on the Cyprus problem and announce political and legal steps against Turkey,” top Cypriot legislator Omirou said in the Armenian parliament.
He said that the refusal of Turkey to ratify the Armenian-Turkish protocols is the manifestation of the same policy.