DASHNAKTSUTYUN: ARMENIAN-TURKISH NORMALIZATION IN WAIT-AND-SEE PHASE
By Georg Khachaturyan

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19 November, 2009

The process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations has entered
a wait-and-see phase and one should hardly expect any "shifts" in
this issue in the coming months, according to a senior member of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun).

Manoyan reminds that the protocols should first be submitted to the
Constitutional Court for consideration.

Giro Manoyan, director of the International Secretariat of the
Dashnaktsutyun Bureau in Yerevan, says that the process of the
ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols on establishing
diplomatic ties and developing bilateral relations (signed in
Zurich on October 10) has stalled at the stage of discussions at the
parliamentary foreign relations commission. As for the Armenian side,
Manoyan reminded that the protocols should first be submitted to
the Constitutional Court for consideration (on the subject of their
constitutionality), which is not happening yet.

Dashnaktsutyun, a key critic of President Serzh Sargsyan’s policy on
Turkey, soon is going to initiate another collection of signatures
urging members of the Armenian parliament not to ratify the Zurich
protocols that the party views as detrimental to Armenia’s national
interests.

"One should hardly expect any changes in the process of the
ratification of the Zurich protocols, and in spring, on the threshold
of [Genocide Commemoration Day] April 24, Turkey will undertake certain
steps that will be of a demonstrative nature in order to show to the
international community its readiness to normalize relations with
Armenia," said Manoyan.

The Dashnaktsutyun representative also stressed that this will happen
only to prevent a possible adoption of the 1915 Armenian Genocide
Resolution by the US Congress.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress