Former Undersecretary of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, former Member of Turkish Parliament representing Republican People's Party (CHP) and well-known specialist on international relations Onur Oymen’s interview with APA

– A few days ago, Armenian president stated that protocols signed with Turkish government on August 31, 2009 in Switzerland have been abrogated. You had been against the signing of the Zurich protocols on October 9, 2009 and had continued this fight even after it was signed. What would you want to say about this after nine years?

-  We have repeatedly said that normalization of relations with Armenia is absurd because it has so groundless claims against Turkey, and has committed Khojaly massacre and has been keeping Azerbaijan’s territories under occupation for long years. Zurich protocols were dead-born child. A few months later, Armenian Court of Constitution made a decision that the protocols will not be fulfilled because they were in contradiction with spirit of Declaration of Independence of Armenia and thrown them into a rubbish bin. At the time, I had repeatedly offered to withdraw the Zurich protocols from the agenda of The Grand National Assembly of Turkey. It was meaningless to keep the issue, which the people don’t accept, on the agenda of the parliament. Statement by the Armenian president looks like the burial of the dead. There is no meaning in signing protocols with a country which erects monument commemorating members of ASALA terrorist organization, which murdered Turkish diplomats, to try to normalize relations. Armenian president announced the decision that we forecasted nine years ago.

– You mean those who want to ‘normalize’ the relations between Turkey and Armenia must not forget results of Zurich protocols, don’t you?

-  Of course. How can we talk about normalization of relations with a country which does not recognize Turkey’s territorial integrity, claims lands from us, slanders us with the claims of so-called ‘genocide’, keeps Azerbaijan’s territories under occupation and committed genocide against Turks?

– How will Armenia's decision to abrogate the Zurich protocols affect the integration of forces of Turkey and Azerbaijan?

– We must combine our forces in all fields. Turkey must bring the issue on Azerbaijan’s occupied territories and Khojaly genocide committed by Armenia up for discussion every day. Turkey should not allow this issue to stay out of world’s agenda. Turkey must do its best for fulfilment of UN Security Council’s resolutions. Fate of occupied seven regions must be focused on.

– How would you comment on Holland’s decision on recognition of so-called ‘Armenian genocide’ and Swedish court’s decision on refusal of municipality’s demand to erect monument of ‘Armenian genocide’?

– Before Holland, German Bundestag passed a decision to recognize so-called ‘Armenian genocide’ in early June 2016. All of these decisions are in contradiction with the international law.  Despite Holland considers itself as a centre of international criminal law, parliament’s decision is groundless. Because for recognition of an event as the genocide, it’s needed a verdict by any local court or independent international court defined by the UN. As there is not any decision on 1915 events, the European Court for Human Rights had also hinted on the Perincek-Switzerland case that 1915 events cannot be characterized as ‘genocide’. Therefore, those decisions by parliaments are meaningless. Swedish court made a correct decision. Municipalities cannot pass a decision on ‘genocide’, they don’t have authority to erect monument of ‘genocide’. Europe and the world will understand it better.