OPPOSING PARLIAMENTARIANS AT LEAST AGREE THAT ‘HINTS OF COERCION’ APPEAR IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS

Tert
21.12.09

Armenia’s governing leaders allowed an unforgiveable mistake, basically
becoming hostage to a model of development of Armenian-Turkish
relations proposed by Turkey, said Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun, ARF-D) parliamentary faction leader Vahan Hovhannesyan
at a debate today.

Hovhannesyan’s opponent in the debate, Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) member Manvel Badeyan, speaking on Armenian-Turkish relations,
noted that it’s not necessary to focus on the signing of the Protocols,
which nonetheless, according to him, are worthy of certain judgement:
"From the first day, I have said that the Protocols are not a sparkling
product of a stroke of genius." Continuing, the RPA representative
said that yes, there are many things in the Protocols that don’t sit
well with us and are simply "tied around our neck."

Badeyan reminded those present of the existence of deadlines. In
his words, "Time is against us." "It’s not the Protocols that are
dangerous. The danger comes from that, that two colleagues appear, one
of which is powerful; the other, weak. We should’ve been stronger,"
emphasized the RPA politician. Asked who is to attempt to make
the country stronger, Badeyan, in particular, noted the country’s
leadership, adding that that issue relates to "each and every one
of us."

In Hovhannesyan’s opinion, the country’s leadership is not sincere.

"If that is your initiative, and because of your entreprise, they
thrust something or another upon you, withdraw from that entreprise,"
he said. Hovhannesyan believes that a contradiction has come about.

The country’s leadership knows, too, and is beginning to "open
its eyes."

Badeyan, in turn, announced, "To think that after the initiative, the
Protocols would’ve completely satisfied us would’ve been laughable. Of
course, there will be points in there that aren’t advantageous for
us." Furthermore, the RPA member agreed with Hovhannesyan that "edges
[hints] of coercion appear" in the Protocols.

"Even if there’s not a single word in there about Nagorno-Karabakh,
we all understand that without the inclusion of the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue, any negotiation whatsoever with the Turkish side wouldn’t have
been possible," concluded Badeyan.