TURKEY, ARMENIA TIES STALLED
Southeast European Times
April 22 2010
ANKARA, Turkey — Foreign Ministry spokesperson Burak Ozugergin said on
Thursday (April 22nd) that Ankara is analysing a statement by Armenia’s
parliamentary majority, suggesting that the issue of normalising ties
with Turkey should be removed from the institution’s agenda until
Turkey agrees to negotiate without preconditions and in a reasonable
timeframe. In a joint statement, ruling coalition members — the
Republican Party of Armenia, Orinats Yerkir and Prosperous Armenia —
said that it considers Turkey’s position on the issue "unacceptable".
"We are evaluating the content of this [Armenian] statement and what
it means" legally and politically, Turkey’s Ozugergin said. The two
protocols on establishing diplomatic ties and re-opening the border
between the two countries were signed in October. However, their
ratification by the two parliaments has dragged over the so-called
Armenian "genocide" issue and Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan in its
dispute with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. (Hurriyet,
AFP, ARKA – 22/04/10)