ARMENIAN OPPOSITION PROTESTING AGAINST ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS

Interfax
Jan 11 2010
Russia

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun is holding a rally
protesting the Armenian-Turkish protocols in the center of Yerevan.

The rally was also joined by members of various other opposition
parties, such as Heritage, Ramkavar-Azatakan and New Times, to demand
that the government declare the Armenian-Turkish protocol invalid.

The opposition is also demanding that the Constitutional Court deem
the protocols as unconstitutional.

About 1,000 demonstrators marched to the Constitutional Court to hand
over a letter to the court chairman, Gagik Arutyunian, listing the
threats the protocols pose to Armenia.

Dashnaktsutyun member Armen Rustamian said that the struggle would
continue if the Constitutional Court supported the protocols.

On January 12, the Constitutional Court will open debates on whether
the protocols comply with the constitution. Protesters plan to continue
their rally near the Constitutional Court on the same day.

The protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations and on the
development of relations between Armenia and Turkey were signed in
Zurich on October 10, 2009, by foreign ministers, Edvard Nalbandian
and Ahmet Davutoglu.

The Armenian-Turkish border was closed in 1993 on Turkey’s initiative.