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Viewing cable 09YEREVAN864, MEDIA REACTION: ARMENIA - ERDOGAN'S U.S. VISIT A SETBACK

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09YEREVAN864 2009-12-14 14:17 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Yerevan
VZCZCXRO6708
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHYE #0864/01 3481417
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141417Z DEC 09 ZDK CTG RUEHIT #3862
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9854
INFO RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI 2428
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 1237
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1655
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1868
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0835
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0030
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000864 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT for EUR/PPD-LPEREZ 
DEPT for EUR/CACEN-JFARRELLY 
DEPT for RASTEVENS-KLITZ 
 
E.O. 12958; N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL TU AZ AM
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION:  ARMENIA - ERDOGAN'S U.S. VISIT A SETBACK 
FOR RAPPROCHEMENT 
 
YEREVAN 00000864  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.  (SBU) The Armenian press, pro-government and opposition alike, 
expressed alarm at statements made by Turkey's Prime Minister 
Erdogan, regarding rapprochement with Armenia, during his visit to 
the U.S.  His comments linking ratification of the protocols on 
normalizing Turkey-Armenia relations to progress in the 
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict led many to question Turkey's sincerity 
regarding ratification of the documents.  There was also concern and 
skepticism regarding Erdogan's assertions that he could do nothing 
to convince the Turkish parliament to ratify the protocols absent 
progress in N-K.  Some outlets took advantage of Erdogan's remarks 
to criticize the GOAM's diplomacy.  Others criticized President 
Obama for failing to push back publically on Erdogan's linkage of 
the two processes.  Television stations initially reported on the 
visit and showed politicians reacting to Erdogan's remarks, but then 
ceased their coverage.  A credible source said they had been ordered 
to stop television reporting on the visit, perhaps because of the 
negative impact it was having on public opinion.  Given the tiny 
circulation of Armenia's newspapers and the light TV coverage, the 
extent of the negative impact on public is hard to gauge.  End 
summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
DOUBTS ABOUT TURKEY'S SINCERITY, ARMENIA'S DIPLOMACY 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
2.  (U) Pro-government HAYOTS ASHKHAR writes that neither the United 
States nor Azerbaijan expected to see such a tough position by 
Erdogan during his visit to Washington.  By subjecting 
Armenian-Turkish negotiations to progress in Nagorno-Karabakh, the 
author believes Turkey is trying to set a trap for Armenia and make 
it look bad in the eyes of the international community.  In another 
article, the paper discounts Erdogan's claim that he has no leverage 
over the Turkish parliament to approve the protocols.  The author 
wonders whether the Armenian parliament might not come up with 
conditions of its own, mentioning genocide recognition among other 
possibilities.  The article concludes that Turkey has no intention 
of normalizing relations with Armenia, since the Turkish side 
understands very well that Armenia will never agree to the "Erdogan" 
concept of rapprochement. 
 
3.  (U) Golos Armenii, a pro-government Russian-language paper, 
asserts that Turks "only understand the language of threats, 
blackmail and ultimatums."  Editor of opposition HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK 
Nikol Pashinian, in a piece critical of Armenian diplomacy, opines 
that now, after the visit, the N-K issue will be central to the 
process of Armenian-Turkish rapprochement.  Opposition 168 ZHAM 
writes sarcastically that, due to the "bright achievements" of 
Armenian diplomacy, the government has no clue what was discussed 
behind closed doors between President Obama and Erdogan.  Editor of 
Centrist ARAVOT Aram Abrahamian believes that, henceforth, Turkey 
will be able to "insert" the N-K conflict in any conversation on 
Armenia-Turkey rapprochement. 
 
----------------------------- 
DOUBTS ABOUT THE U.S. AS WELL 
----------------------------- 
 
4.  (U) Many in the press wondered about a perceived failure of the 
U.S. to push back when Erdogan made the linkage between 
normalization of ties with Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh 
conflict.  HAYOTS ASHKHAR expressed surprise that President Obama, 
"who recently announced that there should be no preconditions for an 
Armenia-Turkey rapprochement," failed to respond to Erdogan's 
statements.  ARAVOT's Editor Aram Abrahamian writes that the United 
States would never endanger its relations with Turkey for the sake 
of Armenia.  AZG and HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN quote an opposition 
Heritage Party MP saying that the lack of a response from President 
Obama is a bad sign.  President Sargsian publically stated that he 
appreciated the U.S. role in Turkish-Armenian normalization and any 
blame lies with the parties themselves. 
 
-------------------------------- 
GAG ORDER ON BROADCAST COVERAGE? 
-------------------------------- 
 
 
YEREVAN 00000864  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
5.  (SBU) Initially, there was widespread TV coverage of Erdogan's 
visit to the U.S.  There was little commentary, but Armenian 
politicians were shown reacting to his remarks.  Then, while he was 
still in the U.S., the coverage stopped.  We received a report from 
a well-placed broadcast journalist that Presidential Spokesman 
Samvel Farmanian had given instructions to the stations to halt all 
coverage. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
6.  (SBU) Coverage of Erdogan's visit to the U.S. has probably 
served to increase suspicions of Turkey's intentions among the 
Armenian political class and lowered the public's receptivity to 
normalization of relations with Turkey.  It put the government on 
the defensive, forcing Foreign Minister Nalbandian to deny before 
parliament that there were any pre-conditions or linkages to 
Nagorno-Karabakh in negotiating the protocols with Turkey.  Given 
the lack of TV coverage after the first day, and the tiny 
circulation of Armenia's printed press, it is hard to assess the 
impact of the negative coverage and comments. 
 
Yovanovitch