ARF TO CONTINUE ACTIVITIES AGAINST ARMENO-TURKISH PROTOCOLS
PanARMENIAN.Net
14.01.2010 15:20 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The verdict of Armenian Constitutional Court over the
Armenian-Turkish Protocols enables and forces Armenia to act further in
accordance with the decision, Vahan Hovhannisyan , ARF (Dashnaktsutyun)
parliamentary group leader told a press conference in Yerevan.
He stressed, that Protocols’ articles on the establishment of
diplomatic relations and opening of Armenia-Turkey border need to be
clarified by the Constitutional Court. "For the development of further
relations between the two countries new agreements should be signed and
pass all relevant procedures in the country," Vahan Hovhannisyan said.
He is not satisfied with the explanation of the Armenian Constitutional
Court, he said, although appreciates that the court accepted all the
arguments presented ARFD . "We have sufficient pre-requisites for
further work in this direction," Hovannisyan said.
Protocols on the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations have
been signed on October 10, 2009 in Zurich by the foreign ministers
of Armenia and Turkey, Edward Nalbandian and Ahmet Davutoglu in the
presence of the foreign ministers of France, the United States, Russia
and Switzerland after a series of diplomatic talks held through Swiss
mediation since 2007. According to the Protocols, diplomatic relations
should be established between the two countries and the mutual border,
closed by Turkey since 1993, should be opened. On January 12, 2010
Armenian Constitutional Court acknowledged the constituency of the
Protocols.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARFD) is one of the oldest
Armenian political parties, founded in 1890 in Tiflis by Christapor
Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian. Between 1918-1920
Dashnaktsutyun was the ruling party in the Republic of Armenia. As
a result of the Soviet invasion Dashnak government suspended its
activities. During the Soviet terror a great number of Dashnak
officers were executed, some emigrated. In 1988, the party returned
to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. At present, ARF Dashnaktsutyun has
offices in many countries wourlwide. In 1994, the party’s activities
in Armenia was banned by the President Levon Ter-Petrossian’s decree,
several members were arrested. In 1998, a decree was repealed by the
newly-elected President Robert Kocharyan. To date, the party belongs
to the opposition. The party’s program remains unchanged: creation
of a united, free and independent Armenia within the boundaries
established by the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920.