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Preconditions blocks Armenia-Turkey relation

Ararat News-Publishing (ANP) – Brussels, Roni Alasor / Fiona Lorin, 4 /12/ 2009 – Two months after the signing of the Protocols between Armenia and Turkey, the final outcome of the dialogue process is still not defined. Other issues, not directly related to the Protocols, but imposed as preconditions, seem to be an obstacle to the moving forward of the normalization. Turkish high-level officials repeatedly affirm that the ratification depends on a favorable - for Azerbaijan and Turkey - Karabakh settlement process

The Protocols signed in Zurich on 10 October had to be submitted for ratification to the Armenian and Turkish Parliaments. But now, two months later, both Armenia and Turkey show caution and silence, without to say what is going on between the Presidents of the two countries.

The Nagorno Karabakh conflict, a conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, is used as Turkish-Armenian conflict to paralyze the normalization. Brussels based political analysts and diplomats specialized in South Caucasus are concerned by the state of play of the negotiations and urge EU, USA and UN to contribute to the dialogue process before its blocking.

Last week, during a briefing organised by European Friends of Armenia (EUFoA)-Brussels, Arman Kirakossian, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia responsible for International Organisations and Armenia-Turkey relations, presented the current status of the normalization process and possible next steps. Mr. Kirakossian who is directly involved in recent talks between Armenia and Turkey, underlined that, as it was said by the Armenian side from the beginning, no any precondition should be imposed from both countries. Armenia still stays clearly behind this position. He insist that other South Caucasus conflicts should not be linked to the process.

Armenian Ambassador to the EU, Avet Adonts, warned also that the involvement of the Karabakh case in the negotiations will make difficult and unsolvable the process.

EuFoA Secretary General Dr Michael Kambeck expressed his concerns about the stability in the South Caucasus in case of non-ratification of the Protocols: "The ratifications are in the interest of Armenia, Turkey, the EU and everyone who seeks peace and stability in the South Caucasus".

Turkey, on the other hand, put ahead its close relations with Azerbaijan to impose the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict before the ratification of the Protocols.

Suat Kiniklioglu, AK Party Deputy Chairman of External Affairs, in his speech last Wednesday in Brussels, during a meeting on Turkey-Armenia relations, explained that Turkey has close historical and cultural ties with Azeris which makes difficult for the AKP Government to pass the Protocols through the Parliament before some movement in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The meeting was organised by German Marshall Fund, EUFoA and the Centre for Strategic Communication Stratim. Armenia was represented by Vigen Sargsyan, Senior Advisor of the Armenian President.

Mr. Kiniklioglu confirmed that the Protocol has yet not been discussed in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish Parliament and there is still not scheduled date for vote. He avoided giving any concrete date for possible ratification.

Vigen Sargsyan, Senior Advisor of the Armenian President insisted that Armenia would like to conclude the normalisation process in reasonable timeframe. Sargsyan underlined that Armenia is also facing strong opposition against the Protocols from Armenian political parties and from the Diaspora, which is two times double then the population in Armenia. But the Armenian government is decided to continue on the way of normalization if the ratification from Turkish side is quick and without preconditions.

The signing of the Protocols between Armenia and Turkey was the first step for establishment of good neighborship between the two countries after the extermination of Armenians in 1915 from their own land. In order to guarantee the stability and the peace in the region the big powers urged Armenia and Turkey to start a normalization process and to establish diplomatic relations.

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