Turkey issues new roadmap, relations with Armenia included: paper

November 19, 2013 - 15:04 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - After complete failure of its ‘zero problems with neighbors’ policy, Turkey has decided to try again.

According to Akşam newspaper, Turkish Foreign Ministry has issued a roadmap for 2014, consisting of 5 points, one of which envisages normalization of relations with Armenia.

2014 will be the year of normalization of relations with Armenia, the newspaper says. The authorities have discussed an option, according to which Armenia will “withdraw from two of the seven regions” of the security belt around Nagorno Karabakh and “will offer Azerbaijan a direct road to Nakhijevan.” Opening of the Turkish-Armenian border is also expected, it says.

Besides, according to the newspaper, the Northern Cyprus issue, relations with Iraq, ease of tensions with Israel and the Syrian conflict are also on the agenda.

Related links:

http://aksam.com.tr

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.