ARMENAKAN-RAP DOES NOT BACK ATTEMPTS TO STOP ARMENIA-TURKEY PROTOCOLS RATIFICATION PROCESS
Noyan Tapan
Oct 21, 2009
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The Republican Board of the
Armenakan-Ramkavar Azatakan Party (Armenakan-RAP) issued a statement
on Armenian-Turkish relations. The statement in particular reads:
"In its previous statements on Armenian-Turkish relations (see Azg
daily, the issues of September 3 and October 10), the Republican
Board of the Armenakan-Ramkavar Azatakan Party said that being in
principle in favor of the normalization of relations between the two
countries and the establishment of diplomatic relations and realizing
the seriousness of the dangers to our country and the likelihood
of Armenia’s international isolation in case of the process’ being
hindered by Armenia, the party does not back the attempts to stop
the protocols ratification process. At the same time, sharing our
people’s fair concerns about some clauses of the signed protocols,
the Republican Board of Armenakan-RAP calls for mitigation of these
concerns by joint efforts.
We demand that the National Assembly, within the limits of its powers,
ratify the protocols, stipulating a certain Condition which will in
essence specify Armenia’s approaches to the controversial provisions in
the Protocols. Adoption of such a Condition by the National Assembly
will become a guide for Armenia’s leadership which will follow this
Condition in its further relations with Turkey. We believe that in
case of stipulatiin of this Condition by the National Assembly, it will
become mandatory for the Foreign Ministry of Armenia as well. In order
to prevent the possible speculation on the Genocide issue by Turkey
and to show that the Armenian people has common will regarding the
Genocide issue and will never abandon it, Armenakan-RAP is presenting
an initiative by proposing that the National Assembly pass a law,
under which any attempt to deny or call into question the Armenian
Genocide will be criminally prosecuted. By this step we will express
our resolution and our rights to stand up for the Armenian Cause".
Armenakan-RAP will soon present to the public its legislative
initiative on envisaging criminal responsibility for any attemp to
deny or call into question the Armenian Genocide.