TABDC to assist in settlement of disputes

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council (TABDC) is planning to establish a department of consultation services to serve businesspeople in Turkey and Armenia willing to do business with each other despite the closed border since 1993.

“There are people who desire to establish a business in Turkey or vice versa. We want to help them from A to Z. And what are they going to do if there is a problem? We are seeking ways to address it,” said Noyan Soyak, co-chairman of TABDC and representative in Turkey for the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia (UMBEA).

Soyak told Today’s Zaman that most of the business is done without a contract between Turkey and Armenia, but even if there is a contract, it says that conflicts will be solved either in Turkish or Armenian courts. “That statement in the contract does not bring any solutions since the countries do not have diplomatic relations, so they do not recognize each other’s courts,” Soyak said.

International law expert Sylvia Tiryaki suggested a mechanism of arbitration in the form of an arbitration court to the TABDC to address conflicts between businesspeople from both countries. “You have to have an enforcement capacity. If I were their lawyer, I would put into their agreement letter a statement saying that there will be an arbitration court that will make decisions if conflicts arise,” she said. She added that the judges of this court could be well-respected people from both communities or respected people from their chambers of commerce.