Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan is not known to engage in foreign policy debate, so when he speaks on the topic his words carry weight. It is especially so related to comments made over the weekend regarding relations with Turkey.

In a December 19 interview to the Turkish Hürriyet Daily News, the Armenian premier said that if Turkey insist on maintaining “preconditions” in the tabled foreign policy protocols then Armenia will not ratify the troublesome documents. Specifically, Sargsyan was referring to Anakara’s insistence that a settlement be reached over Nagorno Karabakh, as a condition of normalizing relations between Turkey and Armenia.

“If the process of the normalization of bilateral relations fails because of the preconditions set by Turkey, then it [Ankara] will have to give explanations regarding the reasons. The reputation of Turkey in this case will be questioned; the same concerns the expedience of further roundtable talks,” Sargsyan reportedly said.

Thus, it is Tigran Sargsyan, and not Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan, who has officially voiced the current approaches of official Yerevan. An event remarkable by itself.

“The position of the Armenian side has not changed. However, judging from Turkish Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s statements (December 7 in Washington, D.C.), it seems that the Turkish position has shifted, which means that the Turkish Parliament may propose certain preconditions. If Turkey comes up with preconditions, Armenia will be free to act likewise,” underscored Sargsyan.

Thus, the Armenian premier did not rule out the possibility of suspending the negotiating process.

Sargsyan made it clear to the Turkish agency that “Turks were originally responsible for closing the border” and that “one should not ask us about the timeframe for the ratification of the protocols” that, he implied, hinges upon the Turkish legislature.

“But if we feel that the Turkish parliament does not obstruct the process, then we will make corresponding conclusions,” he added, without elaborating.

The Armenian premier went on to criticize Azerbaijan for its war rhetoric and said that “we are ready for war as we have learned the lessons of history well.”

“The best way to prevent war is to be ready for it. Nothing will stop Azerbaijan from breaking peace whenever it feels we are not ready for war,” he said.

Sargsyan also reiterated Armenia’s position that linking the Armenian-Turkish normalization with the Karabakh settlement will not contribute in any way to the resolution of the Karabakh issue, since “Turkey is not a neutral country”.

Thus, the statements by the Armenian prime minister appear quite symptomatic. In fact, it was said that unless Turkey drops its policy on linking the Armenian-Turkish relations with the Karabakh problem, Yerevan will terminate the negotiating process.