Turkish parliament unlikely to ratify protocols

February 15, 2010 - 13:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net -
The presidential speech in Chatham House was incorrect for the audience, according to former speaker of the Armenian National Assembly.

“Those who prepare speeches for the President did not take into account that the essence of the address and the problems highlighted in it did not fit the audience,” Tigran Torosyan said. “Instead of presenting Armenia’s stand on the Karabakh issue, the President restricted himself to a wording which was announced numerously before. He just said that the Armenian side will not make concessions conflicting with the interests of Karabakh people.”

“President Sargsyan did not touch on the situation that emerged in the region after the South Ossetian war in 2008. Furthermore, it was a mistake to say that Armenia will certainly ratify the Protocols after the ratification by the Turkish parliament. This conflicts the RA Constitution, according to which each member of parliament takes a decision basing on the political creed,” he said.

Mr. Torosyan, however, said that Turkey is unlikely to ratify the Protocols. “These documents may be ratified only if the US Congress passes the Armenian Genocide Resolution or if President Obama uses the term genocide in his April 24 address,” he said.

The Armenian Genocide resolution

The resolution affirming the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide (H.Res.252) was formally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Adam Schiff (D.-CA), George Radanovich (R.-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D.-NJ), and Mark Kirk (R.-Ill). On March 4, 2010 it was adopted with a 22-21 vote by the House Committee on Foreign Relations. A similar resolution was introduced in the Senate.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

The Armenian-Turkish Protocols

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

Commenting on the CC ruling, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “it contains preconditions and restrictive provisions which impair the letter and spirit of the Protocols.” ”The decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these Protocols as well as their fundamental objective. This approach cannot be accepted on our part. Turkey, in line with its accustomed allegiance to its international commitments, maintains its adherence to the primary provisions of these Protocols. We expect the same allegiance from the Armenian government,” the Ministry said.