PARLIAMENT TO HAVE LAST WORD ON RATIFICATION OF ANKARA-YEREVAN PROTOCOLS: FM

Trend News Agency
Oct 20 2009
Azerbaijan

The Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davudoglu said at a news conference
that the country’s parliament will have the last word on ratification
of the Ankara-Yerevan protocols, CNN Turk reported.

"The country’s Parliament will decide whether to ratify the
Ankara-Yerevan protocols," Davudoglu said.

Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers, Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocol in Zurich on Oct. 10.

Armenian-Turkish ties have been severed since 1993 due to Armenia’s
claims of an alleged genocide, and the country’s occupation of 20
percent of Azerbaijani lands.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.