ARFD: return of protocols another attempt of pressure on Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Head of Hay Dat (Armenian Cause) and director of ARF Bureau's political affairs office Kiro Manoyan does not expect any progress in normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations in the near future. “Return of the protocols to the Turkish parliament’s agenda is not a surprise. Ankara will use them as another tool of pressure on Armenia to prevent Yerevan from withdrawing its signature,” Manoyan told a press conference in Yerevan.

“Turkey just wants to show the international community that the reconciliation process in under way. However, it’s clear that this country has not intention to ratify the protocols,” he said.

Turkish council of ministers has brought the Armenian-Turkish protocols to the parliament’s agenda in what Turkish media described to be “good will gesture towards Armenia.”

On August 22, 2011, Turkey’s Grand National Assembly has withdrawn from the agenda 898 bills, including the protocols envisaging normalization of relations Armenia and opening of the border. The new Turkish parliament said 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 force during six months.

The protocols were signed in 2009 in Zurich by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu. In April 2010, RA President Serzh Sargsyan decreed to suspend the process of ratification of the protocols due to Ankara’s unwillingness to ratify them.