The Stances of Four Major Parties in Turkey on Armenian Issue: Comparative Analysis

• 06.06.2015, 20:58
• Liana Hovhannisyan
•  Region,  "Insight" Analytical Center ,  World,  Analytics

In June 7, there are parliamentary elections in Turkey. During the elections the main competing parties are ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP),  Republican People’s Party (MHP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). Referring to the pre-election theses of those four major parties as well as to their employed policies, let’s try to understand what thwe stance of each of those parties on the Armenian-Turkish relations and on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey is.

The main theses used by the representatives of the ruling Justice and Development Party  as well as the analysis of their pre-election platforms gives ground to assume, that in case the AKP wins the elections, there is no chance to expect changes in the present policy of the party towards Armenia.

To prove the statement brought forward in the previous paragraph,  it is enough to cite a part of the AKP pre-election manifesto, which  refers to Armenia and Karabakh conflict; the one that reads: "Our position with respect to the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem and genocide allegations is clear. The AK Party will not allow any solution not based on fairness and justice to be imposed on Turkey. With regard to reciprocal and simultaneous steps for a solution, Turkey will not refrain from doing what it needs to do,"

The above mentioned thesis found  in the AKP pre-election manifesto proves  that in the future as well the party will continue to connect Genocide and Karabakh conflict thus opposing the possibility of  Armenian-Turkish rapprochement without any pre-conditions

The same can be stated about Turkish present president Recep Tayyip Erdogan's pre-elections statements, which are vivid expressions of his anti-Armenian policy. Among those statements Erdogan’s recent statement is to be underlined: "Their biggest ally is Doğan Media. The Armenian lobby, homosexuals and those who believe in ‘Alevism without Ali’ – all these representatives of sedition are the HDP’s benefactors," Hurriyet Daily reports.

As for the Turkish main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and their stance on Turkey’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide, here again the ground for optimism is small.  CHP has always been characterized by its denialist stance on the Armenian Genocide. Such kind of stance of the party became even obvious, when recently Deputy Head of CHP Murat Özçelik has used the issue of Genocide recognition as a trump card and blamed Erdogan for the defeat in the international recognition of Genocide to gain dividends on the eve of elections.

We observe the same picture if not more radical in case of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) or otherwise known as Grey Wolves. The latter perceives the issue of Genocide as a threat to the Turkish identity. MHP is also considered as a party with the most intolerant stance towards the minorities in Turkey. The representatives of MHP both inside and outside Turkey have acted as the most aggressive advocates of Genocide denial.

We witness another picture in case of Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). Nazmi Gur, Deputy Chairman of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) have stated in the pre-election campaign that in case of their victory in the parliamentary elections they will aim at the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement as well as Turkey’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Although such kind of statements from the party representatives  have not turned into practical usage yet, they form a favorable atmosphere for Armenia to deepen cooperation with HDP. This  cooperation will become even actual if the Kurdish party manages to win 10 percent threshold and to be presented in the Turkish parliament as a party for the first time.

If we try to sum up then we are to state that the positions of the  three of  four main parties in Turkey are similar. And judging from the theses they used in their pre-election campaigns it is unrealistic to expect any change in the Turkey’s foreign policy in case of victory of either of those parties.

As for Kurdish party and their stance on Genocide and Turkish-Armenian relations, here Armenia has work to do as further deepening of the relations between the Kurds and Armenians can be mutually beneficial.