Arman Melikyan: Process Armenian-Turkish reconciliation on a wrong way

February 9, 2010 - 13:52 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net -
In case of failure of normalization of Armenian- Turkish relations, Armenia will have a new active enemy in the region, " Arman Melikyan, ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh told a press conference. According to him, in that case Turkey will intensify anti-Armenian actions in the region. He stressed that the Armenian leadership when started the process had no idea about possible consequences. "In fact, the Armenian authorities were not prepared to assume such responsibility, although they stated the contrary," Melikyan said, adding that the RA leadership should properly evaluate the current situation. According to Melikyan, the process of Armenian-Turkish reconciliation went wrong.

"From the very beginning the Armenian-Turkish Protocols were not favorable to Armenia", Melikyan said, stressing that the country will not be able to return to its former positions on this issue. "Everything is not lost, but there are many gaps necessary to fill," Melikyan Arman said.

Commenting on the decision of U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs to vote for resolution 252 on the Armenian Genocide , Melikyan said he did not think that the U.S. Congress will take any tangible steps before the visit of Russian president to Turkey in May.

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 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.