DAVUTOGLU BRIEFS PARLIAMENT ON ARMENIA PROTOCOLS

Hurriyet Daily News
Oct 21 2009
Turkey

The Turkish government on Wednesday submitted the recently signed
protocols on establishing diplomatic ties with Armenia to Parliament
for ratification.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu briefed Parliament on
Wednesday afternoon on the protocols signed on Oct. 10 with Armenia,
which among other things foresee opening the borders between the two
countries and mutually recognizing the existing borders. Davutoglu was
trying to convince skeptical lawmakers of the benefits of the recent
agreements, as the pacts are coming up for Parliament ratification,
according to The Associated Press.

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

The protocol on developing bilateral relations aims to facilitate the
development of relations between Turkey and Armenia in all fields,
including opening the Turkish-Armenian border two months after the
protocol goes into effect.

While the United Nations, the United States, the EU, Britain and
Russia welcomed this development, the protocols sparked heated debate
in Turkey and attracted criticism from the opposition.

Azerbaijan, uneasy about the recent rapprochement between Turkey and
Armenia, voiced concern and sought reassurance from the government
of Turkey, its old ally, that it would not reopen its border with
Armenia before reaching a settlement on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.

Davutoglu reassured them by saying, "We share our Azerbaijani brothers’
distress and feel it like our own."

"The southern Caucasus doesn’t have a solid ground for political
dialogue," he said. The government, however, believes normalizing
relations with Armenia will bring peace and prosperity to the region.

"Because of the current status quo in the Caucasus, some part of
Azerbaijani territories have been under occupation for the last 17
years. Armenia, on the other hand, is getting poorer and poorer and
its population has already begun leaving the country. And Turkey
cannot act efficiently because of the current status quo. Therefore,
we must change it. We have three important targets to this end: First
of all, we need to establish good neighborly relations with Armenia.

Secondly, we want to set up a channel of healthy communication between
Turkish and Armenian peoples. And thirdly, we aim at accelerating the
process to resolve the Upper Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and
Armenia," Davutoglu said according to Anatolia news agency.

Although Prime Minister Recep Tayyıp Erdogan and other officials
promised not to open the border before a settlement was reached,
Azerbaijan announced it would raise the price of natural gas to Turkey
and look for alternatives routes, bypassing Turkey, to carry gas to
Europe in reprisal for the recent Turkish-Armenian rapprochement.

Davutoglu’s speech Wednesday was frequently interrupted by opposition
lawmakers who accused the government of making concessions by signing
the documents in Switzerland earlier this month, according to reports
by The Associated Press. The government, however, holds a majority
in the 550-seat Parliament and the accords are likely to be ratified.

Republican People’s Party, or CHP, leader Deniz Baykal said during
the party’s meeting Tuesday that the government was harming relations
with its allies while trying to please foreign countries and that
Turkey did not have the luxury of ignoring Azerbaijan.

"Our political will is to resolve our problems with Armenia through
dialogue. Then, great opportunities of cooperation will emerge in all
fields for Turkish and Armenian peoples. Now, we hope that Azerbaijan
and Armenia will resolve the Upper-Karabakh dispute. If it happens,
our people will quickly adopt the normalization of Turkey-Armenia
relations," Erdogan said. A date for voting on the issue has not yet
been set.

Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic ties or economic relations
since Turkey closed its border with Armenia after Armenia invaded
Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region in 1992.