Today's Zaman: Turkish-Armenian rapprochement in stalemate

January 11, 2010 - 17:18 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net -
Turkish-Armenian rapprochement is in deep trouble and needs to be rescued by visionary leadership, Today's Zaman newspaper observer Ömer Taspinar says in his article.

"It has been more than three months since the Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers signed the two protocols that were supposed to launch a historic reconciliation and rapprochement process between Yerevan and Ankara. It was clear that this was not going to be easy," the author notes.

"There were major obstacles from the very start. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had already linked the ratification of the protocols and the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border to Armenian concessions in Nagorno Karabakh. The main reason behind his position is related to domestic Turkish politics as well as to the rigid Azeri position regarding Turkish-Armenian relations.

The situation in Armenia is equally complicated. Yerevan has no intention of relinquishing control of Nagorno Karabakh and must contend with the hard-line views of its influential global diaspora and vocal domestic opposition."

Given all these dimensions to the problem, there are clear limits to how much pressure the administration of Serzh Sargsyan can endure. Facing growing domestic opposition, the pressure of the diaspora and the negative tone in Ankara, it is not surprising that Yerevan is having second thoughts about staying the course.

In short, the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement is in deep trouble and needs to be rescued by visionary leadership," Ömer Taspinar says.

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.