TURKISH PARLIAMENT FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMISSION CHAIRMAN: ARMENIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT’S RECENT DECISION CREATED UNCERTAINTY WITH RESPECT TO THE PROTOCOLS

ArmInfo
2010-02-23 11:26:00

ArmInfo. Turkish Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission Chairman Murat
Mercan told Today’s Zaman that the Armenian constitutional court’s
recent decision created uncertainty with respect to the protocols
and the only way to overcome this uncertainty would be to produce an
international diplomatic solution.

"When we look at the Armenian constitutional court’s ruling, we see
that there are clear provisions in the text stating how the protocols
can and cannot be interpreted. After all, it is an agreement between
two countries. It is not an international agreement. Only those
countries that are party to an agreement are bound by that agreement,"
Mercan said.

"We should also analyze the Armenian constitutional court’s decision
from the perspective of international law. International legal experts
need to assess the issue. While there are some lawyers and some
circles who say the court’s decision does not constitute the basis of
the protocols, others have different opinions. In this respect, there
is uncertainty over the issue. At best there is uncertainty. In this
kind of a situation, the conditions for implementing an international
bilateral agreement are not completely clear. Take, for example, the
issue of opening borders. The court’s decision clearly states that
"opening the borders does not mean recognition of the Treaty of Kars","
he said.

Asked if that uncertainty will affect Turkish Parliament’s ratification
of the protocols, Mercan said: "I think it is very difficult for Turkey
to ratify the protocols under these conditions because there is some
level of uncertainty. There is no clarity about how the protocols
will be interpreted. Without this clarity, we should not expect the
Turkish Parliament to ratify the protocols."