Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Oct 13 2009

Turkey’s foreign minister to brief parliament on Armenian protocols on 21 Oct

Ankara: Turkish government will send the protocols Turkey signed with
Armenia to the parliament next week, government spokesman said on
Monday.

State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek, also the
government spokesman, said that the government would send the
protocols signed with Armenia to normalize relations, to the
parliament in the following week.

"Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will inform the parliament regarding
the protocols on October 21," Cicek told reporters after the cabinet
meeting in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

Cicek also said that Turkey had fraternal relations with Azerbaijan,
not a relationship based on interests.

"No process is more important for us than Turkish-Azerbaijani
friendship," Cicek said.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his Armenian counterpart
Eduard Nalbandian signed two protocols in the Swiss city of Zurich on
Saturday.

The two protocols were on "the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
Between the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Armenia" and "the
Development of Bilateral Relations between the Republic of Turkey and
the Republic of Armenia".

The protocol on establishment of diplomatic relations envisages mutual
recognition of the existing border between the two countries.

Under the protocol, Turkey and Armenia reconfirmed their commitment,
in their bilateral and international relations, to respect and ensure
respect for the principles of "equality, sovereignty, non-intervention
in internal affairs of other states, territorial integrity and
inviolability of frontiers".

Turkey and Armenia also condemned all forms of terrorism, violence and
extremism irrespective of their cause, pledging to refrain from
encouraging and tolerating such acts and to cooperate in combating
against them.

The protocol on development of bilateral relations aims to facilitate
the development of relations between Turkey and Armenia in all fields
and took significant steps within this frame.

One of the steps has to do with the opening of the Turkish-Armenian
border two months after the protocol goes into effect. The two
countries have decided to establish committees in various fields and
at various levels. An historical sub-committee will be established
with the participation of international experts.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties or economic relations since
Armenia declared its independence in 1991 and Turkey closed its border
with Armenia in 1993 after this country invaded the Upper-Karabakh
region of Azerbaijan.

In July 2008, the then Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan expressed
Turkey’s willingness to normalize relations with Yerevan.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul travelled to Armenia in September 2008
to watch the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier match between the two
countries upon an invitation by President Serzh Sargsian of Armenia.

After months-long Swiss mediated talks, Turkey and Armenia agreed
about a month ago on a protocol to establish relations and open the
border.

Azerbaijani and Armenian officials are also holding talks for over a
year to find a settlement to the Upper Karabakh dispute.

Gul invited Sargsian to watch the return match in Turkey on October
14. Sargsian told reporters earlier on Monday that he would go to the
Turkish city of Bursa and support his team, providing nothing
extraordinary happened in the following two days.