Ankara does not reject its signature under Protocols

April 1, 2010 - 16:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Official representative of the Turkish government, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek said Turkey does not reject its signature put under the Protocols on normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations. “If the process is sabotaged, Ankara will not be guilty for it. The entire world shall understand that there will be no Turkey’s guilt in it. The Armenian Constitutional Court’s decision has become one of basic factors decelerating the process,” CNN Turk quoted him as saying.

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.