Protocols will not return to Turkish parliament’s agenda – expert

August 22, 2011 - 21:28 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia should declare the Armenian-Turkish protocols invalid in response to Turkey’s removal of the protocols from the parliament’s agenda, said director of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Armenians Academy of Sciences.

“We should have done this earlier,” prof. Ruben Safrastyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. “Although withdrawal of any bill from the parliament is a procedural issue conditioned by the election of the new parliament, it’s obvious that the current Turkish authorities have no intention to normalize relations with Armenia.”

“The Protocols will hardly return to the Turkish parliament’s agenda. Turkey is not interested in normalization of relations with Armenia. It entered the big game in Middle East,” prof. Safrastyan said, adding that Armenia should build its policy towards Turkey taking into account the latter’s approach to the matter.

Turkey’s Grand National Assembly has withdrawn from the agenda 898 bills, including the Armenian-Turkish protocols signed in 2009.

According to Pirus Haber, the new Turkish parliament considers that the issue of opening of border with Armenia is no longer actual for the country’s political course. Besides, in compliance with the parliament’s regulations, a bill that was rejected by the parliament loses its legal forces during six months.

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.