SHUKRU ELEKDAGH: "THE ZURICH PROTOCOLS CAN NEVER BE RATIFIED IN THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT AFTER THE DECISION OF ARMENIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT"
APA
Feb 18 2010
Azerbaijan
Istanbul. Mayis Alizadeh – APA. "The Constitutional Court determines
whether the decision of the Armenian parliament is in accordance
with the Main Law or not. Armenian Constitutional Court passed a
hypocritical decision.
On the one hand the court says these protocols are in accordance with
the constitution, on the other hand, says that some comments should
be made on the protocols," member of foreign affairs commission of
the Turkish parliament, Turkey’s former ambassador to Washington,
former head of Foreign Ministry’s executive office, MP from CHP
Shukru Elekdagh told APA. According to him, the comments reveal the
problems that will emerge in the discussions of the Turkish government
with Armenia.
"While reading the decision of the Armenian Constitutional Court,
we see that Kars and Moscow treaties are not effective for them.
Secondly, Armenia will not give up its activity to "prove" the
"genocide" against Armenians in 1915. Thirdly, the historical
commission envisaged n the protocols have no authority to investigate
the events of 1915. For Armenians Turkey’s eastern provinces are
"Western Armenia". It is claimed that establishment of relations
between Turkey and Armenia are not connected with Karabakh problem.
The text of the protocols signed between Turkey and Armenia are open
for comment," he said.
Shukru Elekdagh said they had met with the U.S. ambassador at the
foreign affairs commission of the Turkish parliament.
"I asked him how their lawyers assess the decision of Armenian
Constitutional Court. The ambassador said the U.S. Department
of State does not hesitate over the issue. They do not see any
contradiction between the decision of Armenian Constitutional Court
and the essence of the protocols. According to article 102 of the
Armenian Constitution, the decision of the Constitutional Court is
binding and unchangeable. It seems by making the Constitutional Court
pass a decision Armenian leaders build a wall for themselves. They
chose a way to exert pressure on Turkey. Draft resolution 252 will
be discussed in the foreign relations committee of the congress on
March 5. Turkey will tell the US to impede it. And they will tell
Turkey to ratify the protocols in the parliament. You see, the Turkish
negotiators and Foreign Minister Davutoglu drew the issue to deadlock.
They should to ask Armenian before signing these agreements: you save
these articles in preamble of your constitution and Declaration of
Independence. First, Armenia will never leave "genocide" target and
will struggle for that and second, it will continue to claim eastern
provinces of Turkey. It is amazing that the Turkish negotiators
didn’t ask Armenians about that. It was great irresponsibility. The
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations tied with the solution
of Nagorno Karabakh problem, particularly with the withdrawal of
Armenian forces from the occupied Azerbaijani lands. Every thinking
person knows that Armenia is the last stronghold of Russian Federation
in the Caucasus".
Shukru Elekdagh said if Armenian-Turkish relations were normalized,
Armenia would integrate into the world via Turkey. "It will pull
out Armenia from the Russian satellite. Therefore Russia and Armenia
don’t want to solve Karabakh problem. I reminded it earlier to foreign
minister Papazyan. I reminded it to honorable Davutoglu, but he told me
that they were shaking stones and the situation was not so hopeless".
The former ambassador said there were contradictions in Prime Minister
Erdogan’s Baku and Washington statements. "On December 7, US President
Barack Obama told Turkish Prime Minister in Washington: "We welcomed
the agreement you signed with Armenia, but you have to ratify these
protocols and to open borders with Armenia". Obama added that you
don’t need to tie ratification of the protocols with the Karabakh
problem. The Turkish prime Minister said that it would be decided
by the parliament. But he said at the Azerbaijani parliament on May
14 that this is a relation of cause and effect. We closed borders
because Armenia occupied Nagorno Karabakh and five nearby regions
and therefore we can’t open the borders before ending of Armenian
occupation. The Prime Minister said it in Baku, but told them in
Washington that they will bring the protocols to the parliament and
it will decide to ratify them or not. There are contradictions between
these ideas. If the protocols will be out on agenda of the parliament,
it will be impossible to ratify them. This question was closed.
Therefore you can’t doubt on this issue. The protocols can not be
ratified after the decision of Armenian Constitutional Court".
Shukru Elekdagh didn’t rule out his visit to Washington on the eve
of March 5 talks.