TURKISH OFFICIAL: ARMENIA-TURKEY PROTOCOLS WILL BE RATIFIED ONLY AFTER NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Trend
March 17 2010
Azerbaijan
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved, before the ratification
of the Armenian-Turkish protocols on the normalization of relations
between Yerevan and Ankara, said Suat Kiniklioglu, Deputy Chairman
of External Affairs for the Justice and Development Party (AKP).
"Just as the Turks, Azerbaijanis and Armenians stand for the peace
in the region, which requires, first and foremost, solution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem," Kiniklioglu was quoted as saying by Cihan
news agency. "The process of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish
relations may be continued after the conflict resolution without any
preconditions and ratify the protocols."
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.
Armenia must properly assess and use the historic opportunity for
the normalization of relations with Turkey, the official added.
Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10, 2009.
"Even without the process of normalizing relations, Turkey will
continue its course, but Armenia will suffer the most, if the process
does not begin, as I stated in a meeting with officials in Yerevan,"
he said.
Turkey did not deported the illegally living Armenian over the past
five years given the difficult economic situation in Armenia, he said.
The official commented on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
statement on eviction of illegally living 100,00Armenians from the
country, if Armenia does not get rid of the Armenian diaspora’s
control.
"I hope that Armenia will take this into account," Kiniklioglu said.
"Armenia should appreciate the historic opportunity that it get for
the normalization of relations with Turkey."
Erdogan warned of possible expulsion of 100,000 Armenians illegally
living in Turkey, in an interview to the British BBC television and
radio company. It was the minister’s response to the question asked
about Ankara’s reaction to adoption of a resolution recognizing the
so-called "Armenian genocide" by the several countries’ parliaments.
A week after the adoption of the resolution on "Armenian genocide" by
the U.S Congress’s committee, the Swedish parliament by a margin of one
vote, approved the document that recognizes the so-called "genocide."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
