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TURKEY ASKS FOR GUARANTEE FROM BERN, WASHINGTON ON BEHALF OF ARMENIA
Hurriyet Daily News
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Turkey asks United States and Switzerland, the official mediator
between Ankara and Yerevan, to give written clarification that the
recent decision of Armenian Constitutional court will not legally
close the door to challenge the claims of genocide. "We will try to
find a solution on the legal ground," says a Turkish official
Armenia's constitutional court acknowledged the legality of a landmark
deal that would re-establish ties with Turkey. Ankara argues the
decision legally closes the door to a debate challenging the genocide
claims. AFP photo Turkey will start talks with Switzerland and the
United States to get legal clarification that the recent decision
of the Armenian court will not prevent a debate between Ankara and
Yerevan on whether or not the 1915 killings of Armenians at the hands
of Ottomans amounted to genocide.
The recent decision by the Armenian Constitutional Court on the
protocols agreed to by Armenia and Turkey to start normalization of
relations has angered Ankara, which argues the decision legally closes
the door to a debate challenging the genocide claims. Turkish reaction
has been interpreted by some as a pretext not to ratify the protocols
in the Parliament due to the objections of the opposition parties.
"This is absolutely not true. We do not want the reconciliation
process with Armenia to collapse," said a senior Turkish official.
The groundbreaking protocols signed last October foresee the
establishment of diplomatic ties, the opening of the border as well
as the establishment of a committee that will discuss the 1915 events.
The Armenian Constitutional Court ruled last week that the protocols
were in conformity with the Armenian constitution, but Turkey's major
source of concern is the court's reference to the Armenian Declaration
of Independence. The court said the interpretation and application of
the protocols should be in compliance with the Armenian constitution
and paragraph 11 of the Armenian Declaration of Independence, which
states: "The Republic of Armenia stands in support of the task of
achieving international recognition of the 1915 Genocide in Ottoman
Turkey and Western Armenia."
If the Armenians continue to consider the events of 1915 as an
undisputable genocide, in the Turkish view, this goes against the
essence of the normalization process. "We can set up a commission of
historians that can talk about everything on the 1915 events, yet
cannot discuss whether it was genocide or not because the Armenian
court ruled this is not an issue open to discussion," said a Turkish
official. "We immediately asked for clarification from Armenia, the
United States and Switzerland," said the same official. Switzerland
was the mediator during last year's talks between Turks and Armenians.
Switzerland has first agreed with Turkey's concerns, yet after talks
with Armenians said the Swiss government was ready to guarantee Turkey
that the court ruling would not hamper the process, according to the
Turkish official. "We have asked Switzerland to give us a written
guarantee," said the official. Although the Swiss were unwilling to
give the written guarantee, the concerned sides decided to continue
the dialogue. "We will talk to Switzerland and the U.S. and try to
find a solution on legal grounds," the official added.
Meanwhile, Turkey has urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach a partial
agreement that will pave the way later for a lasting solution to
the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. So far talks between the Armenians
and the Azerbaijanis have focused on five subjects. One of them is
the withdrawal of the Armenian forces from the occupied Azerbaijani
territory surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh.
While the protocols foresee no direct link between the Turkish-Armenian
normalization and Nagorno-Karabakh, talks between Armenian and
Azerbaijani leadership gained momentum after the start of the
reconciliation process between Ankara and Yerevan, according to
Turkish officials. "Our relations with Armenia have deteriorated due
to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. If there is no change in the
Armenian-Azerbaijani track, then the efforts for Turkish-Armenian
reconciliation can backfire," said the Turkish official.
Hurriyet Daily News
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Turkey asks United States and Switzerland, the official mediator
between Ankara and Yerevan, to give written clarification that the
recent decision of Armenian Constitutional court will not legally
close the door to challenge the claims of genocide. "We will try to
find a solution on the legal ground," says a Turkish official
Armenia's constitutional court acknowledged the legality of a landmark
deal that would re-establish ties with Turkey. Ankara argues the
decision legally closes the door to a debate challenging the genocide
claims. AFP photo Turkey will start talks with Switzerland and the
United States to get legal clarification that the recent decision
of the Armenian court will not prevent a debate between Ankara and
Yerevan on whether or not the 1915 killings of Armenians at the hands
of Ottomans amounted to genocide.
The recent decision by the Armenian Constitutional Court on the
protocols agreed to by Armenia and Turkey to start normalization of
relations has angered Ankara, which argues the decision legally closes
the door to a debate challenging the genocide claims. Turkish reaction
has been interpreted by some as a pretext not to ratify the protocols
in the Parliament due to the objections of the opposition parties.
"This is absolutely not true. We do not want the reconciliation
process with Armenia to collapse," said a senior Turkish official.
The groundbreaking protocols signed last October foresee the
establishment of diplomatic ties, the opening of the border as well
as the establishment of a committee that will discuss the 1915 events.
The Armenian Constitutional Court ruled last week that the protocols
were in conformity with the Armenian constitution, but Turkey's major
source of concern is the court's reference to the Armenian Declaration
of Independence. The court said the interpretation and application of
the protocols should be in compliance with the Armenian constitution
and paragraph 11 of the Armenian Declaration of Independence, which
states: "The Republic of Armenia stands in support of the task of
achieving international recognition of the 1915 Genocide in Ottoman
Turkey and Western Armenia."
If the Armenians continue to consider the events of 1915 as an
undisputable genocide, in the Turkish view, this goes against the
essence of the normalization process. "We can set up a commission of
historians that can talk about everything on the 1915 events, yet
cannot discuss whether it was genocide or not because the Armenian
court ruled this is not an issue open to discussion," said a Turkish
official. "We immediately asked for clarification from Armenia, the
United States and Switzerland," said the same official. Switzerland
was the mediator during last year's talks between Turks and Armenians.
Switzerland has first agreed with Turkey's concerns, yet after talks
with Armenians said the Swiss government was ready to guarantee Turkey
that the court ruling would not hamper the process, according to the
Turkish official. "We have asked Switzerland to give us a written
guarantee," said the official. Although the Swiss were unwilling to
give the written guarantee, the concerned sides decided to continue
the dialogue. "We will talk to Switzerland and the U.S. and try to
find a solution on legal grounds," the official added.
Meanwhile, Turkey has urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach a partial
agreement that will pave the way later for a lasting solution to
the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. So far talks between the Armenians
and the Azerbaijanis have focused on five subjects. One of them is
the withdrawal of the Armenian forces from the occupied Azerbaijani
territory surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh.
While the protocols foresee no direct link between the Turkish-Armenian
normalization and Nagorno-Karabakh, talks between Armenian and
Azerbaijani leadership gained momentum after the start of the
reconciliation process between Ankara and Yerevan, according to
Turkish officials. "Our relations with Armenia have deteriorated due
to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. If there is no change in the
Armenian-Azerbaijani track, then the efforts for Turkish-Armenian
reconciliation can backfire," said the Turkish official.