TURKEY’S FM HOPES ARMENIA TO REVERSE SUSPENSION
WorldBulletin.net
April 23 2010
Turkey
Davutoglu said regarding the decision made by Armenia to suspend
protocols signed with Turkey was a unilateral one.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said regarding the decision
made by Armenia to suspend protocols signed with Turkey was a
unilateral one.
Turkey and Armenia which have no diplomatic ties or economic relations
since Turkey closed its border with Armenia since this country invaded
the Upper-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in 1992, signed two protocols
in October 2009, for normalisation of relations, after months-long
Swiss-mediated talks.
Speaking to reporters in Estonian capital of Tallinn on Friday,
Davutoglu said, "it is a decision made by Armenia unilaterally. The
decision is about their own process. As Prime Minister (Recep Tayyip)
Erdogan said, it is their own decision."
Armenian President Serzh Sargsian announced on Thursday that Armenia
was freezing its ratification of protocols on normalization of ties
with Turkey.
"I hope that available political atmosphere will take place in Armenia
and Turkey as soon as possible and the process will resume," he said.
Not only Turkey and Armenia but all regional countries as well as
international community especially the United States, Russia and
France would benefit from resumption of the process, he said.
Davutoglu said everyone including Turkey and Armenia as well as
Caucasus and Minsk group should make good use of acquisitions.
Recalling Prime Minister Erdogan’s statement, Davutoglu said there was
no change for Turkey and the country always highlighted its loyalty
to protocols since the beginning.
The protocols that have been signed between Turkey and Armenia were
still at the parliament’s foreign affairs committee, he said. "We are
ready to take steps when appropriate conditions occur," Davutoglu said.
He said they discussed the matter with the U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton.
Sources said Clinton underlined the importance of continuation of
the process between the two countries during their conversation.
"Process"
Both Turkey and Armenian governments initiated the internal
ratification process.
Turkish government sent the protocols to the parliament. The protocol
needs to be approved by the parliament in order for it to take effect.
The Turkish government says it will not open the border unless Armenia
ends its occupation of Upper-Karabakh.
However, on January 12, 2010, the Armenian Constitutional Court
approved the protocols, however the tone of the court’s reasoned
verdict drew criticism from Turkey and Turkish officials who voiced
their uneasiness in various platforms.
Turkey thought the fifth article of Armenian Constitutional Court’s
verdict regarding the protocols was against the target and basis of
the protocols.