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ARMENIAN HISTORIAN GLAD TURKEY FAILED PROTOCOL RATIFICATION ON NORMALIZING RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA
NEWS.AM
July 30, 2012 | 21:13
YEREVAN. - The Zurich protocols on normalizing Armenian-Turkish
relations were not beneficial for the Armenian side from the very
beginning, expert Ashot Melkonyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am commenting
on the Turkish President's press secretary Ahmet Sever's statement
in the Vatan newspaper.
Within the context of the President Abdullah Gul's possible running
for the highest office for the second term, the press secretary said
that the major disappointment for Gul were the unsettled Kurdish and
Armenian issues.
"The Turkish side immediately following the signing of the
protocols stated that they refer also to the third side, hinting the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Such an interpretation was beneficial for
Turkey, as it links the normalization process with the withdrawal
of the Armenian troops from the alleged 'occupied' - but for me
liberated - territories of Nagorno-Karabakh. As such a disposition
met the rough resistance of the Armenian communities and Diaspora, the
process appeared in a deadlock. I am only glad for it, as the protocols
intended to confirm the current de-facto borders between Armenia and
Turkey via Araks and Akhuryan rivers, which is inadmissible for me,
as a historian," Melkonyan stated.
To note, the protocols on normalizing relations between Armenia and
Turkey were signed in Oct. 10 in Zurich. However, the ratification
process in both parliaments was suspended due to the nonconstructive
position of Turkey, which set pre-conditions after signing protocols.
NEWS.AM
July 30, 2012 | 21:13
YEREVAN. - The Zurich protocols on normalizing Armenian-Turkish
relations were not beneficial for the Armenian side from the very
beginning, expert Ashot Melkonyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am commenting
on the Turkish President's press secretary Ahmet Sever's statement
in the Vatan newspaper.
Within the context of the President Abdullah Gul's possible running
for the highest office for the second term, the press secretary said
that the major disappointment for Gul were the unsettled Kurdish and
Armenian issues.
"The Turkish side immediately following the signing of the
protocols stated that they refer also to the third side, hinting the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Such an interpretation was beneficial for
Turkey, as it links the normalization process with the withdrawal
of the Armenian troops from the alleged 'occupied' - but for me
liberated - territories of Nagorno-Karabakh. As such a disposition
met the rough resistance of the Armenian communities and Diaspora, the
process appeared in a deadlock. I am only glad for it, as the protocols
intended to confirm the current de-facto borders between Armenia and
Turkey via Araks and Akhuryan rivers, which is inadmissible for me,
as a historian," Melkonyan stated.
To note, the protocols on normalizing relations between Armenia and
Turkey were signed in Oct. 10 in Zurich. However, the ratification
process in both parliaments was suspended due to the nonconstructive
position of Turkey, which set pre-conditions after signing protocols.