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Clinton calls Sarksyan over his warning to Turkey
14 December 2009, Monday
TODAY'S ZAMAN ANKARA
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
It has emerged that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telephoned
Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan last Thursday only hours after the
Armenian leader threatened to annul the protocols signed by Ankara and
Yerevan in October for the normalization of relations if Ankara fails
to unconditionally implement them.
Following a White House meeting with US President Barack Obama last
Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an said progress in
ongoing efforts at normalization between Armenia and Turkey was
related to progress concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between
Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In Yerevan on Thursday, in an apparent response to ErdoÄ?an's remarks,
Sarksyan explicitly threatened to walk away from its landmark
agreements with Turkey if Ankara continues to make their
implementation conditional on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
Armenian media, citing Sarksyan's press office as a source, reported
that Clinton initiated a telephone conversation late on Thursday to
brief the Armenian leader on Obama's talks with ErdoÄ?an last Monday.
`During the phone conversation, Secretary of State Clinton once again
emphasized that the United States will continue with its consistent
support for a speedy normalization of relations between Armenia and
Turkey without preconditions,' the presidential office said in a
statement. It also cited Sarksyan as reaffirming Yerevan's readiness
to press ahead with the normalization process and expressing hope that
`the Turkish side will display similar readiness and responsibility,'
Armenian media reported, noting that there was no word on whether the
two touched upon the Armenian threats to walk away from the deal.
14 December 2009, Monday
TODAY'S ZAMAN ANKARA
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
It has emerged that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telephoned
Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan last Thursday only hours after the
Armenian leader threatened to annul the protocols signed by Ankara and
Yerevan in October for the normalization of relations if Ankara fails
to unconditionally implement them.
Following a White House meeting with US President Barack Obama last
Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an said progress in
ongoing efforts at normalization between Armenia and Turkey was
related to progress concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between
Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In Yerevan on Thursday, in an apparent response to ErdoÄ?an's remarks,
Sarksyan explicitly threatened to walk away from its landmark
agreements with Turkey if Ankara continues to make their
implementation conditional on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
Armenian media, citing Sarksyan's press office as a source, reported
that Clinton initiated a telephone conversation late on Thursday to
brief the Armenian leader on Obama's talks with ErdoÄ?an last Monday.
`During the phone conversation, Secretary of State Clinton once again
emphasized that the United States will continue with its consistent
support for a speedy normalization of relations between Armenia and
Turkey without preconditions,' the presidential office said in a
statement. It also cited Sarksyan as reaffirming Yerevan's readiness
to press ahead with the normalization process and expressing hope that
`the Turkish side will display similar readiness and responsibility,'
Armenian media reported, noting that there was no word on whether the
two touched upon the Armenian threats to walk away from the deal.