Erdogan: imply to facilitate peace in the region

April 19, 2010 - 19:15 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey is behind the protocols signed with Armenia last year.

Speaking on Turkey's NTV channel on Sunday, Erdogan said that "the protocols imply to facilitate peace in the region."

Nevertheless, he remarked that the Turkish parliament will not ratify the protocols unless the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is resolved.

Touching on Iran's nuclear program, Erdogan said that Turkey had made all necessary warnings to Iran on the matter.

“A country can build a nuclear power plant for peaceful purposes. It is a natural right of any country to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. However, we do not wish to see nuclear arms in our region,” he said, Anatolian News Agency reported.

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.