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PROGRESS ON NK ISSUE WOULD FACILITATE RATIFICATION OF TURKEY'S AGREEMENTS WITH ARMENIA
Baltic News Service
February 25, 2010 Thursday 3:06 PM EET
Vilnius
It would be easier for Turkey's MPs to ratify historic agreements with
Armenia should Yerevan take steps to withdraw from the Nagorno-Karabakh
region, a high-ranking Turkish Cabinet member said amid a Lithuania
visit. "If Armenia starts withdrawing from some of the invaded
Azeri lands, that would boost the morale of Turkish parlamentarians
to ratify the protocol that Turkey signed with Armenia," Turkey's
European Union (EU) Minister and chief negotiator Egemen Bagis told
BNS in an interview in the late hours of Wednesday.
Turkish and Armenian ministers last fall signed protocols on entering
into diplomatic relations and opening the state border.
Analysts considered the move a historic turn in efforts to curb
decades worth of hostility, dating back to the Armenian Genocide by
the Ottoman Empire in the years of WWI. The ratification process,
however, got stuck amid accusatory exchanges. Turkey closed its
borders with Armenia in 1993 as a sign of solidarity to Azerbaijan
over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The enclave, populated by Christian
Armenians and internationally recognized as part of muslim Azerbaijan,
declared de facto independence in 1991 prompting the Armenia-Azerbaijan
war, which ended in a fragile peace agreement in 1994. "Turkey enjoys
very close relations with Azerbaijan. We would like to see a resolution
to the outgoing problem between Armenia and Azerbaijan. As we speak
20 percent of Azeri land is under Armenian occupation. It would be
important for Turkish parliamentarians to ratify the protocol signed
by our foreign minister if we see that some progress is made between
Azerbaijan and Armenia regarding Nagorno-Karabakh," the minister
said. "Of course it is each and independent member of parliament who
would decide on the ratification, but, knowing the Turkish parliament,
it would be much easier for us to ratify those protocols if there
was movement on Karabakh," Bagis added.
Baltic News Service
February 25, 2010 Thursday 3:06 PM EET
Vilnius
It would be easier for Turkey's MPs to ratify historic agreements with
Armenia should Yerevan take steps to withdraw from the Nagorno-Karabakh
region, a high-ranking Turkish Cabinet member said amid a Lithuania
visit. "If Armenia starts withdrawing from some of the invaded
Azeri lands, that would boost the morale of Turkish parlamentarians
to ratify the protocol that Turkey signed with Armenia," Turkey's
European Union (EU) Minister and chief negotiator Egemen Bagis told
BNS in an interview in the late hours of Wednesday.
Turkish and Armenian ministers last fall signed protocols on entering
into diplomatic relations and opening the state border.
Analysts considered the move a historic turn in efforts to curb
decades worth of hostility, dating back to the Armenian Genocide by
the Ottoman Empire in the years of WWI. The ratification process,
however, got stuck amid accusatory exchanges. Turkey closed its
borders with Armenia in 1993 as a sign of solidarity to Azerbaijan
over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The enclave, populated by Christian
Armenians and internationally recognized as part of muslim Azerbaijan,
declared de facto independence in 1991 prompting the Armenia-Azerbaijan
war, which ended in a fragile peace agreement in 1994. "Turkey enjoys
very close relations with Azerbaijan. We would like to see a resolution
to the outgoing problem between Armenia and Azerbaijan. As we speak
20 percent of Azeri land is under Armenian occupation. It would be
important for Turkish parliamentarians to ratify the protocol signed
by our foreign minister if we see that some progress is made between
Azerbaijan and Armenia regarding Nagorno-Karabakh," the minister
said. "Of course it is each and independent member of parliament who
would decide on the ratification, but, knowing the Turkish parliament,
it would be much easier for us to ratify those protocols if there
was movement on Karabakh," Bagis added.