"TURKEY REALLY WAS GOING TO ATTACK ARMENIA IN AUTUMNN

[Alla]

"TURKEY REALLY WAS GOING TO ATTACK ARMENIA IN AUTUMNN

1993", FORMER HEAD OF STATE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL SECURITY,

MAYOR GENERAL EDUARD SIMONIANTS SAYS

 

YEREVAN, September 23 (Noyan Tapan). The other day, in the

Armenian press, with an allusion to Greek Ambassador to Armenia,

Leonidas Chrisantopulos, who occupied the position in 1993-4, a

sensational message appeared: Turkey intended to attack Armenia

in October 1993. Alluding to the reconnaissance data he had

received from the French Ambassador to Armenia and verified by

US Ambassador to Armenia Harry Gilmore, the Greek diplomat

stated the Armenian authorities were well informed about the

possible provocation - the impending intrusion into Armenia. The

RA National Security Council put the army on high alert. With

the request to comment on that statement, NT correspondent

Susanna Petrosyan turned to Mayor-General Eduard Simoniants who

was the head of the State department of the RA National Security

in 1993-4.

 

NT: To what degree does the statment of former Greek

Ambassador to Armenia Chrisantopulos corresponds the real state

of things?

 

E.S. Turkey, really, was going to attack Armenia in autumn

1993. Moreover, it was not the only case: for several years,

several times, there was the peril of a possible invasion of the

Turkish army, including the episode mentioned by the Greek

ambassador. I can doubtlessly state that the information about

the intrusion of the Turkish army into the Armenian territory

reached us not only through diplomatic sources. In accordance

with the Security Council's decision, really, corresponding

measures were taken. According to the president, the NS chief

advisor of the apparatus, all possible resources were activated,

including military, political and diplomatic. As is known, the

intrusion itself did not take place. Real threats took place,

the Turkish army was redislocated along the frontier shared with

Armenia, field head quarters were set ready, the army was fully

organized and equipped with technics and arms. The reality of

the threat of intrusion was extremely high.

I do not want to talk immediately about the terms, but the

perils of the kind were more than once in 1993, including the

autumn period, about which the ambassador speaks.

 

NT: How was the threat eliminated?

 

E.S.: I repeat, the Turkish army was redislocated along the

frontier: all the regulation points were activated. The threat

was the most real. In respect to the methods we indertook for

practically neutralizing the threat, I think, it is not time to

make it public yet. I have no right.

The Turkish factor, as such, played quite an essential role

in the events taking place in 1993. I mean both the Artsax war

and lots of political and diplomatic demarches undertaken by

different states, as well as the negotiations on settling any

possible contacts, including Turkey, and on the other hand,

these are events that resulted in coldness oif the realtions

etc. In this context, the immediate threat of Turkey's military

interference in the events in the region, especially in

Artsax, was high. Turkey actively prepared for the

interference in the Artsax issue, the military way of solution

- not excluded.

Let alone Turkey's constant help to Azerbaijan with arms,

instructors and so on; well it, in a way, goes without saying,

and is background phenomenon. But the thing is that it was, in

their opinion, not sufficient and they were getting ready for

real intrusion.

 

NT: To what degree is the threat of Turkey's intrusion into

Armenia real nowadays? Is it today as strong as in 1993?

 

E.S.: No. From the viewpoint of threat, the Turkish

intrusion today is incomparably less real than it was in 1992-3.

But, in fact, it is not excluded. The events may unfol in the

most unxpected way, and such conditions may come up when the

temptation for Turkey will sufficiently high, and the general

event chain will highly contribute to making a decision of that

kind. That's why, to say that the threat is 100% excluded, would

be a lie, but today, the probability of their invasion is low

enough.

 

NT: What is it connected with that they came to evaluate

the situation more really?

 

E.S. Not only with this. The matter is that it is not at

all useful for Turkey to indulge in any military conflicts,

moreover, they are urged to by the US. This is both a

participation in terroristic acts and the possible intrusion

into Iraq and so on and so forth. So in this concern, it would

be an extreme luxury for Turkey to commence another conflict.

I think it is alone quite sufficient fir us to talk about

low probability of conflict today with Turkey's participation in

the territory of Armenia and Artsax. It is today unreal.

[Arpa]

It surprises me that the above item has no generated and discussion.

How credible is it?

My repeated questions of why Turkey is still blockading Armenia that remains unanswered to this day may have been partially answered.

It is common knowledge that blockade is an act of war. The above proves that. Turkey not having found acceptable grounds to attack Yerevan may have been using the blockade, cold war if you will, as a substitute for hot war.

One almost wishes that they had in fact attacked Yerevan.

[bellthecat]

I was travelling through eastern Turkey in July and August 1993. The PKK problem looked like it was growing out of control, but I did not see any evidence of large scale troop movements and the actual situation along the Turkish/Armenian border was fairly relaxed. However I do remember that there was extensive war-mongering and "tub thumping" (MJ :-) ) going on in the Turkish media, to the extent that I actually recorded some of their TRT radio broadcasts. I should dig them out and have a listen to them again.

 

Steve

[MJ]

Dear Cat,

 

Your beautiful smile has been duly noted. What a charming personality...

[gamavor]

I was hoping at that time that they will really attack Armenia.

 

I repeat, at that time:)

[Alla]

and why did you hope for something like that to happen?