Kiro Manoyan: Armenia should withdraw signature from protocols

August 22, 2011 - 20:38 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia should withdraw its signature from the Armenian-Turkish protocols in response to Turkey’s removal of the protocols from the parliament’s agenda, Hay Dat and ARF Bureau’s political affairs office director said.

“There were some convenient moments to withdraw the signature. And there won’t be any better chance. Under the circumstances, waiting for Turkey to ratify the protocols will be humiliating for Armenia,” Kiro Manoyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

“Turkey may bring forth various reasons for removing the protocols from the parliament’s agenda but the fact is that Ankara is not interested in their ratification,” he said.

Manoyan suggested that Armenia should develop a new draft and wait unless a force ready to normalize relations without preconditions comes to power in Turkey.

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.