, Turkey
Feb 14 2010

Armenia sends Turkey protocols to parliament

The Turkish government says it will not open the border unless Armenia
ends its occupation of Upper-Karabakh.

Sunday, 14 February 2010 09:29

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian on Friday submitted two protocols
on normalising ties with Turkey after decades of hostility to
parliament for ratification.

Sarkisian announced this week that he would soon be sending the
protocols on establishing diplomatic ties and reopening the
Armenia-Turkey border to parliament for approval.

But he insisted that the accords must first be voted on by the Turkish
parliament before Armenia’s parliament will approve them.

Parliament spokesman Goar Pogosian confirmed that the assembly had
received the protocols and said that within two days a commission
would be established to study them.

Turkey and Armenia which have no diplomatic ties or economic relations
since Turkey closed its border with Armenia since this country invaded
the Upper-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in 1992, signed two protocols
in October 2009, for normalisation of relations, after months-long
Swiss-mediated talks.

Under the protocol, Turkey and Armenia reconfirmed their commitment,
in their bilateral and international relations, to respect and ensure
respect for the principles of "equality, sovereignty, non-intervention
in internal affairs of other states, territorial integrity and
inviolability of frontiers".

The protocol on development of bilateral relations aims to facilitate
the development of relations between Turkey and Armenia in all fields
and the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border two months after the
protocol goes into effect.

Both Turkey and Armenian governments initiated the internal
ratification process.

Turkish government sent the protocols to the parliament. The protocol
needs to be approved by the parliament in order for it to take effect.
The Turkish government says it will not open the border unless Armenia
ends its occupation of Upper-Karabakh.

Recently the Armenian Constitutional Court approved the protocols,
however the tone of the court’s reasoned verdict drew criticism from
Turkey and Turkish officials who voiced their uneasiness in various
platforms.

Agencies