TURKISH PARLIAMENT MAY RATIFY ZURICH PROTOCOLS WITH ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

APA
March 4 2010
Azerbaijan

Ankara. Mayis Alizadeh – APA. Though the protocols on the normalization
of the relations between Turkey and Armenia signed in Zurich, October
10, 2009, have been brought to the agenda of the Turkish parliament,
it will be ratified only with the additional comments of Turkey,
sources in the parliament told APA’s Turkey bureau.

Turkey prefers this variant as the Armenian Constitutional Court
confirmed the protocols with additional comments. Ankara plans to
put forward the following comments:

1) Establishment of the commission of historians from the two countries
for investigating the "genocide" claims must remain on the agenda; 2)
Armenia must recognize the existing borders of Turkey in accordance
with the Kars and Moscow treaties and give up its territorial claims 3)
Concrete steps must be taken to release Nagorno Karabakh

According to the sources, the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) fears that some parliamentarians representing the party may
vote against the protocols. Therefore, ratification of the Zurich
protocols with additional comments may make it easier for AKP.