The US President issued his “Armenian Remembrance Day” declaration on April 24 and as expected, did not use the word genocide. However, just as in the previous years, by using “Meds Yeghern” (great tragedy), understood to be one of the Armenian words corresponding to genocide, he wanted to at least partially satisfy the Armenians.

As anticipated, Serge Sarkisian won the presidential election in Armenia by receiving 58% of the votes in the first round.

In a statement and an interview delivered recently, President Sarkisian has given great room for Armenia’s relations with Turkey and contrary to its predecessors, has brought the genocide allegations to the forefront. Sarkisian’s views on this issue could be summarized as follows:

When considering what kinds of developments could take place within Turkey-Armenia relations in 2013, the picture that emerges is not very positive.

No serious problem and significant development is expected to take place in Armenia in 2013 in the economic area. Although Armenia had greatly been affected by the world economic crisis and had experienced a decrease of approximately 15% in its national income, it has been able to recover over time although slowly. It was indicated in the press that an increase of about 7% in the gross national product (GNP) would take place in 2012. It is likely that this tendency to recover will continue in 2013.

The developments that could take place in 2013 in Armenia, which has serious problems with its neighbors in the Southern Caucasus and when looking from this aspect, entails the most important obstacle to the creation of conditions for security and cooperation in the region, are tried to be summarized below.

Tomorrow Presidential elections and also House of Representatives and the Senate by-elections will be held in the US.

During a ceremony held in Ottawa on September 20 in which Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird was also present, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu inaugurated a monument dedicated to Turkish Military Attaché Colonel Atilla Altıkat who was martyred in this city by Armenian terrorists in 1982.

Comprehensive inclusion of Armenian genocide allegations in history and geography textbooks to be taught in the schools in France caused grave discontent in Turkey.

Harut Sassounian is an American columnist of Armenian origin. He is known for always supporting extreme nationalist views and showing great reactions towards events, rebuking from time to time Turkish, Armenian and American statesmen and politicians and giving advice to them. Thus, due to these qualifications he is highly admired and frequently read by the Diaspora Armenians. He is a person who must be taken seriously due to his influence over the Armenian Diaspora rather than the value of his writings.