Hillary Clinton: we hope Turkey will ratify Armenian-Turkish protocols

PanARMENIAN.Net - Improving relations between Turkey and Armenia would be a positive step, and we hope that the Turkish parliament will ratify the protocols during its current session and normalize ties with Armenia, U.S. Secretary of State announced in Washington DC, before the Turkey's top officials and Diaspora leaders.

“These festering conflicts hold back progress and development in the region. Reducing tensions with neighbors, increasing stability, is a recipe for expanded growth and influence. Turkey’s leaders understand this, which is why they have been reaching out over the last years. But it does take bold choices and strong political will, not only on the part of Turkey, but on the part of all of the countries,” Hillary Clinton stressed.

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On August 22, 2011, Turkey’s Grand National Assembly has withdrawn from the agenda 898 bills, including the protocols envisaging normalization of relations Armenia and opening of the border.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.