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ARMENIA -TURKEY: FOOTBALL DIPLOMACY OVER
Voice of Russia
http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/04/23/6826169.h tml
April 23 2010
Armenia has decided to continue normalizing relations with Turkey. It
is only suspending the procedure of ratification of the protocols
with its neighbour, Armenia's President Serj Sargsyan said in his
televised address to the nation.
As you might remember, the relations between the two countries remained
seriously strained till recently, among other things, because of
Ankara's support of the Azeri stand on Nagorny Karabakh and also
because of Turkey's strong reaction to the international recognition
of the genocide of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
The relations between Armenia and Turkey improved somewhat only 2
years ago, after the Armenian President Serj Sargsyan invited the
President of Turkey Abdullah Gul to Yerevan to attend the match of the
two countries' national football teams. And one year later Armenia and
Turkey, through the mediation of Switzerland, agreed a gradual plan
for the normalization of bilateral relations and signed protocols to
the effect at the University of Zurich.
Following the signing, these protocols should be approved by the two
countries' parliaments. However, in recent times the Turkish side has
made the ratification dependent on the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict by means of returning the Armenian-speaking enclave of
Nagorny Karabakh under Azerbaijan's jurisdiction. This forced Serj
Sargsyan, after consultations with the parties, making part of the
ruling coalition, to say that the current stage of the normalization
process, which started with a football match of the two countries'
national teams, is over for Armenia.
Commenting on this step of Yerevan, the leading scholar of the Caucasus
Department at the Institute of the CIS Countries Felix Stanevsky
said. What has been done by the Armenian leadership simply means that
the Armenian side mentions once again that the ratification of the
protocols by the Turkish side should continue as fast as it was till
recently. This is what we determine as the outer sense. And the inner
sense is this: there's a rather strong resistance in Armenia to both
the ratification of the protocols and the settlement of relations
with Turkey.
Thus, the ruling majority in Armenia is sending a signal to the
opposition at home that it has no plans to yield to Turkey in
whatever it might be. And that the Armenian leadership plans to make
no concessions to Turkey, except the ones which were stipulated by
the protocols.
At the same time, Yerevan makes it clear that it does not want to halt
the negotiating process. A new boost will be given to it on condition
that a relevant atmosphere is created in Turkey. Armenia's President
Serj Sargsyan says that his country will consider the possibility of
advancing the normalization process with Turkey as soon as it makes
certain that there're leaders in Ankara ready to work for this.
Voice of Russia
http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/04/23/6826169.h tml
April 23 2010
Armenia has decided to continue normalizing relations with Turkey. It
is only suspending the procedure of ratification of the protocols
with its neighbour, Armenia's President Serj Sargsyan said in his
televised address to the nation.
As you might remember, the relations between the two countries remained
seriously strained till recently, among other things, because of
Ankara's support of the Azeri stand on Nagorny Karabakh and also
because of Turkey's strong reaction to the international recognition
of the genocide of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
The relations between Armenia and Turkey improved somewhat only 2
years ago, after the Armenian President Serj Sargsyan invited the
President of Turkey Abdullah Gul to Yerevan to attend the match of the
two countries' national football teams. And one year later Armenia and
Turkey, through the mediation of Switzerland, agreed a gradual plan
for the normalization of bilateral relations and signed protocols to
the effect at the University of Zurich.
Following the signing, these protocols should be approved by the two
countries' parliaments. However, in recent times the Turkish side has
made the ratification dependent on the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict by means of returning the Armenian-speaking enclave of
Nagorny Karabakh under Azerbaijan's jurisdiction. This forced Serj
Sargsyan, after consultations with the parties, making part of the
ruling coalition, to say that the current stage of the normalization
process, which started with a football match of the two countries'
national teams, is over for Armenia.
Commenting on this step of Yerevan, the leading scholar of the Caucasus
Department at the Institute of the CIS Countries Felix Stanevsky
said. What has been done by the Armenian leadership simply means that
the Armenian side mentions once again that the ratification of the
protocols by the Turkish side should continue as fast as it was till
recently. This is what we determine as the outer sense. And the inner
sense is this: there's a rather strong resistance in Armenia to both
the ratification of the protocols and the settlement of relations
with Turkey.
Thus, the ruling majority in Armenia is sending a signal to the
opposition at home that it has no plans to yield to Turkey in
whatever it might be. And that the Armenian leadership plans to make
no concessions to Turkey, except the ones which were stipulated by
the protocols.
At the same time, Yerevan makes it clear that it does not want to halt
the negotiating process. A new boost will be given to it on condition
that a relevant atmosphere is created in Turkey. Armenia's President
Serj Sargsyan says that his country will consider the possibility of
advancing the normalization process with Turkey as soon as it makes
certain that there're leaders in Ankara ready to work for this.