Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

BAKU: Turkey Launches Domestic Discussions On Armenia Ties

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • BAKU: Turkey Launches Domestic Discussions On Armenia Ties

    TURKEY LAUNCHES DOMESTIC DISCUSSIONS ON ARMENIA TIES

    AzerNews Weekly
    Sept 15 2009
    Azerbaijan

    The Turkish government on Friday began domestic consultations on the
    agreements recently reached with Armenia on normalizing ties.

    Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu held the first such meeting with the
    country`s parliament speaker, Mehmet Ali Sahin. The discussions were
    sealed off to the press.

    Davutoglu said this meeting formally launches political consultations
    on the protocols agreed with Armenia.

    "Whatever step is taken in foreign policy, parliament is the venue
    for adding a legal shape to it. For this reason, I held my first
    meeting with the parliament speaker," he told reporters.

    Ankara and Yerevan agreed on August 31 to begin discussions on forging
    diplomatic ties and developing bilateral relations. The two countries
    announced they would complete domestic consultations over the two
    protocols within six weeks. The documents ultimately seek to open
    the Turkish-Armenian border, which has been shut since 1993 due to
    Armenia`s policy of occupation of Azerbaijani territory and Armenian
    claims of genocide committed by Ottoman Turks during World War I.

    Davutoglu said he would comprehensively discuss Ankara`s policy on
    its relations with Yerevan with the leaders of all parties that have
    factions in the legislature and have gained over one percent of votes
    in elections.

    The People`s Republic Party, Turkey`s main opposition bloc,
    has welcomed the suggestion to hold a meeting with the foreign
    minister. The minister and the party`s chairman, Deniz Baykal, met
    on Tuesday.

    However, another major opposition party, the Nationalist Movement
    Party, has rejected the proposal to meet with Davutoglu.

    The two parties are vehemently opposed to parliamentary approval of the
    protocols with Armenia, saying the documents run counter to Turkey`s
    national interests and those of Azerbaijan, the country`s ally.

    Davutoglu intends to complete discussions with party leaders by the
    end of September, before the UN General Assembly session and the fall
    session of the Turkish parliament.

    The Turkish minister said his country was seeking to maintain good
    relations with all regional states. He noted, however, that Armenia
    should take certain steps to allow Turkey to convince the opposition
    that forging diplomatic ties with Yerevan is appropriate.

    "If Armenia wants the border to open as soon as possible, it should
    take certain steps, particularly with regard to the Garabagh problem,"
    said Davutoglu.

    He emphasized that "the government`s mission will end with the
    passage of the six-week period, and the fate of these protocols will
    be decided in parliament."

    Under the agreement reached, the protocols to be signed will go
    into effect after their ratification at the Turkish and Armenian
    parliaments, while the border is expected to open two months the
    protocols are signed.

    Protests Activists of Armenia`s nationalist Dashnaksutyun Party
    launched a hunger strike outside the government building and the
    Foreign Ministry on Tuesday to protest the agreements with Turkey,
    the party said. Dashnaksutyun also intends to begin a signature
    collection campaign.

    It said in a statement that its representatives will demand to redraft
    the protocols, which they consider a threat to Armenian interests.

    The Armenian National Congress, led by opposition leader, former
    president Levon Ter-Petrosian, is opposed to the border opening. Levon
    Zurabyan, the organization`s coordinator, has told a news conference
    that the opposition was toughening its stance toward Turkey and
    launching protests. Zurabyan said Armenia`s authorities are making
    "degrading concessions" to Ankara, hinting at the planned establishment
    of an intergovernmental commission of historians, which the opposition
    says questions the alleged genocide of Armenians.
Working...
X