TURKISH MFA SEES NO PROBLEM IN ANKARA’S ‘ARMENIAN INITIATIVE’

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.02.2010 15:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said
Wednesday that there is no problem with Turkey’s ‘Armenian initiative’.

Burak Ozugergin, a spokesperson for the Ministry, told reporters that
the Armenian-Turkish dialogue is in trouble over the RA Constitutional
Court’s ruling. "Turkey’s position has not changed. The Ministry’s
Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu will visit Switzerland and the
United States in coming days to express Turkey’s concerns on the
issue," he said.

As to Karabakh conflict settlement, Ozugergin said some progress
was fixed during the recent days. "There is slight hope that the
sides will take concrete steps towards resolution," Ozugergin said,
Anatolian News Agency reported.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet
Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks
held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

Commenting on the CC ruling, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
said that "the decision contains preconditions and restrictive
provisions which impair the letter and spirit of the Protocols."

"The decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these
Protocols as well as their fundamental objective. This approach
cannot be accepted on our part. Turkey, in line with its accustomed
allegiance to its international commitments, maintains its adherence
to the primary provisions of these Protocols. We expect the same
allegiance from the Armenian Government," the Ministry said.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out in
1988 as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the
final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from
1991 to 1994. Since the ceasefire in 1994, sealed by Armenia, NKR and
Azerbaijan, most of Nagorno Karabakh and several regions of Azerbaijan
around it (the security zone) remain under the control of NKR defense
army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the
OSCE Minsk Group up till now.