Hay Dat: Turkey not intend to ratify Armenian-Turkish Protocols

March 5, 2010 - 14:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - It is already clear that Turkey does not intend to ratify the Armenian-Turkish Protocols , Giro Manoyan , head of the Central Office of Hay Dat (Armenian Cause) told a news conference in Yerevan.

According to him the recent statements of the Turkish side are the pretext for Armenia to declare that the Armenian-Turkish normalization has failed because of Ankara, to withdraw from the process and to state that Armenia would return to the negotiating table only if Turkey agree to held talks without preconditions. "The later we withdraw from the process, the harder it would be," Manoyan said.

He also referred to the statements of some U.S. Congressmen, who argued that the decision of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs to adopt Armenian Genocide resolution 252 may interfere with Armenian-Turkish process. According to him, those statements became a lever of pressure on Armenia in the Karabakh settlement, as well.

On March 4 the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted Armenian Genocide resolution (H.Res.252) by 23 votes “n favour”and with 22 votes "against". After the vote in the appropriate committee, the resolution will be sent to the House of Representatives for a final vote.

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.