ARMENIA WILL NEVER MAKE CONCESSIONS IN NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS WITH TURKEY WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS

Noyan Tapan
May 21, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Over the past weeks the Turkish Prime
Minister and other high-ranking Turkish officials stated on various
occasions that normalization of relations with Armenia depends on three
preconditions: recognition of the Treaty of Kars by Armenia, stopping
of the process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and Nagorno
Karabakh settlement in favor of Azerbaijan. ARFD faction member Vahan
Hovhannisian stated on May 20 at the RA National Assembly. While,
according to him, Armenia continues declaring to the whole world
that an agreement was reached with Turkey on normalizing bilateral
relations with Turkey without preconditions.

The deputy stated that we should speak with Turkey not about reopening
the border, but about creation of a border check-point or corridor,
as "hearing about reopening of borders, the Turks immediately fall
ill with the Treaty of Kars." H. Hovhannisian also considers that
it is time to accelerate construction of railway connecting with
Iran and to start resettlement of territories surrounding Nagorno
Karabakh. Mentioning RA President’s promise to carry out the process of
normalization of relations with Turkey in reasonable time constraints,
he asked to make clear that time constraint and whether it is connected
with the football match to be held in Turkey.

Mentioning that the government also attentively keeps up with Turkish
side’s statements, RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian assured that the
Armenian side will make no concessions in the issue of normalizing
the relations with Turkey without preconditions. Besides, in case any
document is signed with the Turkish side it should be ratified by NA,
which will create a possibility of public discussion and transparency.

According to the Prime Minister, NKR economic growth is a necessary
condition for settlement of the territories, which will create a
possibility for people to live there and to resist the crisis.