PROTOCOLS BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA SHELVED
BIAnet.org
April 23 2010
Turkey
The Armenian coalition government decided to take the approval of
the protocols between Turkey and Armenia off the parliament’s agenda
until Turkey refrains from preconditions regarding the approval. The
protocols envisage the development of diplomatic relations.
Tolga KORKUT [email protected] Erivan – Bia News Centre23 April
2010, Friday The Armenian coalition government decided to shelve the
approval of the protocols regarding the improvement of Turkish-Armenian
relations.
The protocols were signed by Turkey and Armenia on 10 October 2009 in
Zurich. They envisage the development of diplomatic relations between
both countries. The protocols were to be enforced after they would
have passed through both parliaments. Neither Turkey nor Armenia has
approved the protocols.
The coalition government in Armenia consists of the Armenian Republican
Party, the Party for a Prosperous Armenia and the Law State Party. As
reported by the Armenian "A1+" media agency, the coalition government
stated in a joint announcement that they decided to take the protocols
off the parliament’s agenda until Turkey refrains from putting forward
preconditions regarding the approval.
The parties declared that they do not accept the fact that Turkey’s
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan consistently links the issue with
the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who just came back from visits
to the USA and Russia, held a meeting on the protocols with the
Armenian Security Council, which includes the political leaders of
the coalition. In a press release made after the meeting, President
Sargsyan said that the country did not drop out of the process of
normalizing relations with Turkey, but that it was suspended for now.
Sargsyan: Reasonable time has been exceeded Sargsyan stated that
Turkey was claiming preconditions and that a reasonable time for the
approval of the protocol had been exceeded.
The president’s speech to the nation made yesterday (22 April) can
be briefly summarized as follows:
Turkey deliberately prolonged the procedure: Turkey did everything
to pass time for a whole year and to make the process fail. Turkey
is not ready to advance the process without prerequisites. We think
that a reasonable time has been exceeded. The application will not
be accepted after 24 April, regardless of Turkey’s issues. We think
that this stage of the normalization process has been exhausted. (On
24 April 1915, 220 Armenian intellectuals living in Turkey were exiled
and then killed.)
Open to sign: We want to maintain our position on the normalization
of relations because we want peace.
If conditions are met: We still pursue the normalization of relations
between Turkey and Armenia. Once we are convinced that Turkey is ready
and that a new leadership in Ankara is ready for participating in
the normalization processes, we will think of putting it forward again.
Gratitude to Abdullah Gul: At the end of the phase that started with
the football match between Armenia and Turkey in September 2008
[which was attended by President Gul] I want to thank the Turkish
President Abdullah Gul for his political correctness throughout the
process and for the development of positive relations between us.
Erdogan: Our commitment persists After the Armenian decision, Prime
Minister Erdogan declared, "They know themselves how to manage the
approval process". Erdogan indicated that attitudes towards Armenia
have not changed and that he assured Armenia of his commitment to
enforce the protocols.
However, considering Karabakh, Erdogan stated, "We explained how to
reach peace in the region. And we are still determined".
Aktar: Process shelved by both sides European Union expert Dr Cengiz
Aktar evaluated the Armenian decision, "The process was shelved by
both sides. The decision confirms this situation".
Regarding Armenian domestic politics, Aktar said that nobody expected
such a statement from Armenia. According to EU expert Aktar, there
might be two reasons for the decision. Sargsyan might have found such
a step a significant measure to silence the opposition since Armenian
domestic politics are currently jammed. The opposition had strongly
objected the protocols.
Another reason might stem from Sargsyan’s recent visit to the USA,
where he might have been prompted accordingly by President Barack
Obama. But this is very unlikely. Even if Obama talks about genocide,
he would not say it in this situation, Aktar argued. (TK/VK)