SARKISIAN PRESSURING GUL, SAYS ARF’S MARKARIAN

Asbarez
Feb 9th, 2010

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-President Serzh Sarkisian’s message to his
Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, in which the latter was urged to
take decisive steps toward the ratification of the Armenia-Turkey
protocols, was Armenia’s effort to pressure Turkey and warn that
Armenia’s patience was wearing thin, assessed Armenian Revolutionary
Federation Bureau chairman Hrant Markarian Tuesday.

The ARF leader, who granted an interview to Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty, pointed out that Turkey was also exerting pressure on Armenia
by constantly linking the normalization process with a resolution to
the Karabakh conflict that favors Azerbaijan. Markarian also said that
Turkey was using last month’s Armenian Constitutional Court decision
to pressure the Armenian parliament to not ratify the protocols with
"reservations," as outlined by the high court’s ruling.

Since Turkey, "is succeeding in applying pressure in this regards,"
any delays in the process will harm Armenia, said Markarian.

Thus, Markarian stressed, Armenia must deem the negotiations a failure,
due to Turkey, no later than March.

On his way to London Tuesday, Sarkisian issued a message to Gul urging
Turkey to take decisive steps in the protocol ratification process.

Sarkisian’s efforts were immediately rebuffed by Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who called the letter "a customary message"
by world leaders when crossing another country’s airspace.

Markarian claimed that Armenia’s leadership has toughened its
conciliatory policy on Turkey under pressure from the ARF, adding
that Sarkisian had a hand in the Constitutional Court ruling on the
Turkish-Armenian protocols that has been condemned by Turkey.

"Our struggle was the reason why the Constitutional Court made that
decision," Markarian said in the interview. "Serzh Sarkisian was not
uninvolved in the making of that decision."

"I think it would be fair to say that there is some toughening of the
[Sarkisian administration’s] position on both the Karabakh issue and
Turkish-Armenian relations," he said.

"With the Constitutional Court decision, Armenia adopted a new policy,"
said Markarian. "One should be frank and consistent in that approach
till the end. If we stop half way on the approach defined by the
Constitutional Court decision, I think we will discredit ourselves."

Markarian reiterated in that regard the ARF’s calls for Armenia’s
parliament to ratify the protocols with corresponding "reservations."

He indicated that his party had concerns to this effect and will
work hard to ensure that the parliament will adhere to the decision
of the Constitutional Court.

Markarian also addressed the ARF’s call for regime change in Armenia
saying, "We are trying to achieve regime change by means of elections,
regular or non-regular. Going beyond elections is a different thing
which we are not seeking at the moment."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress