.S. Praises Armenian Court Ruling On Protocols
Asbarez
Jan 22nd, 2010
WASHINGTON (RFE/RL)-The United States welcomed a ruling by Armenia’s
Constitutional Court late on Friday, effectively dismissing Turkey’s
claims that it runs counter to the Turkish-Armenian fence-mending
agreements.
`We view the court decision as a positive step forward in the
ratification process of the normalization protocols between Turkey and
Armenia,’ U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon said in
written comments sent to RFE/RL. `The court decision permits the
protocols, as they were negotiated and signed, to move forward towards
parliamentary ratification, and does not appear to limit or qualify
them in any way.’
`We are confident that both Turkey and Armenia take their commitment
to the protocols seriously, and we urge timely ratification of the
protocols by both countries,’ added Gordon.
Despite Gordon’s upbeat statement on the court ruling, the situation
remains tense with the vast majority of Armenians-especially Armenian
Americans-opposing the protocols. The Armenian National Committee of
America responded to Asst. Secretary Gordon’s interpretation of the
accords.
`Assistant Secretary Gordon, rather than constantly arm-twisting
Armenia, this time in the form of public statements misreading the
Armenian Constitutional Court’s decision on the Protocols – or, more
precisely, reading the State Department’s interests into its legally
binding limits and qualifications – should leave decisions regarding
the rights, security, and future of the Armenian nation to the
Armenian people,’ said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.
`The constant drumbeat of State Department pressure on Armenia to
accept these one-sided accords is profoundly troubling to Armenian
American voters, particularly in the wake of the Obama-Biden
Administration’s broken pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide, its
dramatic cuts in economic aid to Armenia, its efforts to tilt the U.S.
military aid balance in favor of Azerbaijan, and its drive to impose
the patently undemocratic Madrid Principles on the Nagorno Karabagh
Republic,’ Hamparian added.
The comments followed a reported phone conversation between U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu. The Anatolia news agency quoted an unnamed Turkish Foreign
Ministry official as saying that Davutoglu reiterated Ankara’s claims
that the Armenian court’s interpretation of the protocols’
implications contradicts their `essence and substance.’ Davutoglu said
earlier on Friday that he will urge his U.S. and Swiss counterparts to
put pressure on the Armenian leadership.
Washington’s reaction to the Turkish claims represents a significant
boost to Yerevan’s position in the row which has raised more questions
about the success of the U.S.-backed normalization process. U.S.
officials have repeatedly urged Armenia and Turkey to implement the
landmark agreements without preconditions and within a `reasonable’
period of time.
`Our position remains the same,’ said Gordon. `We support the
normalization process, which we believe contributes to peace and
stability in the Caucasus. What is critical is to keep the parties
focused on the vital importance of moving ahead.’