Agos Weekly, Istanbul
Dec 31 2009

U.S.: `Sign the Protocols Without Preconditions’

Philip Gordon, the assistant secretary of state for European and
Eurasian affairs at the U.S. State Department, stated that the U.S.
would like to see the signed protocols between Armenia and Turkey
ratified without preconditions.

Gordon, who participated in White House talks between American and
Turkish officials during Obama’s and Erdoğan’s meeting, stated after
the talks: `We support the process of normalization between Turkey and
Armenia and the protocols that were signed on October 10. We are
actively engaged in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. If both of these
processes were to succeed, it would really be a historic development.
The agreed reasonable calendar should be followed for the ratification
of the protocols. We have asked both the Armenian and Turkish
governments for the ratification of the protocols as soon as possible,
without preconditions and independently of any other issue. President
Obama explained this to Prime Minister Erdoğan. We are ready to help.
We would like to see both parties sign the protocols.’