PARLIAMENT OF TURKEY WILL NOT RATIFY ARMENIA-TURKEY PROTOCOLS UNTIL KARABAKH PROBLEM IS SETTLED, TURKISH POLITICAL SCIENTIST SAYS

"Armenians Today" publication is issued by "Noyan Tapan
14.10.2009

The Armenia-Turkey protocols signed in Zurich are significant not
only in terms of normalizing bilateral realtions, but also from the
viewpoint of regional and international security. Deputy Chairman of
the RF Federation Council’s Committee of International Affairs Vasily
Lichachev stated this during the October 13 Yerevan-Ankara-Moscow
television bridge. In his words, it is important that the political
will expressed by both sides be maintained during the protocols’
ratification by the two parliaments and their implementation.

Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the RA National
Academy of Sciences. Turkologist Ruben Safrastian expressed a high
opinion about the fact that the sides have agreed not to put forward
any preconditions. At the same time he stressed that the further
process will be difficult. "I am convinced of ultimate success of this
process because the favorable outcome proceeds from the interests of
Armenia and Turkey," he said.

Vice President of European Security Academy and member of the
scientific board of the Middle East Technical University Huseyin Bagci
expressed a hope that "the autumn sun from Ankara will penetrate
into the protocols, and the establishment of diplomatic relations
will put an end to the dark period in our relations".

In the words of Head of the Section of Turkey of the Institute of
Oriental Studies of Russian Academy of Sciences Natalia Ulchenko,
there is a widespread opinion that Turkey will benefit from the
process in the political sense, while Armenia in the economic sense,
but it is obvious that Turkey’s underdeveloped eastern region – Eastern
Anatolia will benefit as a result of opening the border with Armenia:
its economic insularity will be overcome at the expense of markets
located east of Turkey, particularly Armenian markets.

According to Director of the Caucasus Media Institute Alexander
Iskandarian, the signing of these documents is only the beginning
of the road: some underwater snags may emerge during the protocols’
ratification by the parliaments. He noted that among Armenians,
there are those in favor of the process and people who view it
with suspicion. "I do not think that there is zero probability of
normalizing the relations," he said, adding that there is still much
to be done within the two countries and outside.

Chairman of the Turkish Center of Strategic Analysis Sinan Ohan said
the problems existing between Armenia and Turkey so far – the Genocide
problem, the issues of Ararat and Eastern Anatolia – remain behind,
whereas the Karabakh problem comes to the foreground. In his words,
although the word "Karabakh" is absent in the protocols, the Turkish
parliament will not ratify them until the Karabakh problem is settled.

In response to that, Head of the CSTO International Social Center of
Information Assistance Ramil Latipov stated: "Let’s leave the Karabakh
problem to be resolved within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group".

Chairman of "European Integration" NGO Karen Bekarian said any attempt
by Turkish officials to link these two processes to each other hits
the Karabakh conflict settlement process. According to him, a country
that itself caused a mass exodus of refugees from Eastern Anatolia
or Western Armenia has no right to speak about the return of refugees
and territories.