Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Burak Ozugergin said that Armenian FM expressed his concern over the statement issued by Turkish Foreign Ministry, News.am reports citing Turkish media.
On January 19, Turkish Foreign Ministry had issued a statement criticizing the decision of RA Constitutional Court on Armenia-Turkey Protocols. ‘This decision contains preconditions and restrictive provisions which impair the letter and spirit of the Protocols. The said decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these Protocols as well as their fundamental objective,” the statement reads.
Official Yerevan expressed on Tuesday its “bewilderment” with the claim, suggesting that the Turkish government might be seeking a new excuse to delay the parliamentary ratification of the agreements.
The court upheld on January 12 the legality of the two protocols that commit Ankara to establish diplomatic relations with Yerevan and open the Turkish-Armenian boarder. In an apparent response to domestic criticism of the deal, it also indicated that the documents can not have any bearing on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict or inhibit Armenia’s pursuit of greater international recognition of the Armenian genocide.
It really smells like Turkey is looking for an excuse to back away from the protocols, and a couple of careless phrases in Armenian Constitutional Court’s verdict are about to give Turkey that excuse, plus the opportunity to stain Armenia’s reputation.
Artur Papyan
Journalist, blogger, digital security and media consultant
5 Comments
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If Turkey does indeed not go forward with the protocols, it would be to Armenia’s advantage as the protocol is poorly written and is asking too much from Armenia with preconditions of historical debate and exact border recognition. The constitutional court did the right thing by making sure there cannot be preconditions of genocide debate in the protocol. I wonder why the writer here “ditord” is trying so hard to be appeasing to Turkey by willing to give up Armenia’s national interests?
I think, that Turkey would not have ratified those protocols anyway, or, would have backed away from them after ratification by doing steps which are against the commitments it assumes under those protocols. After that, Armenia could use it as a way to point to the world, that Turkey is not adhering to its obligations, that it is lying, etc, etc.
Instead of that, now Turkey is accusing Armenia, and its all because the Constitutional Court has not been careful enough in its wording and by issuing that verdict, it has, very possibly, acted against Armenia’s national interests.
Now Turkey is using the Constitutional Court’s verdict as an excuse to back away from the protocols and make it look, as if Armenia is to blame for it. That will tarnish Armenia’s international reputation. It will make us look stupid. This is the idea behind that blog article. Tell me again, Andranik, what part of this you didn’t understand the first time? I thought my blog’s language is plain enough for anyone to understand.
so you’re saying that by stating what is in Armenia’s declaration of independence, the constitutional court is acting against Armenia? This means you’re against Armenia’s declaration of independence! Besides your treacherous mentality, If you had any brains, instead of blaming Armenia, you would point to Turkey’s shrewd tactics for setting new preconditions with Karabagh, and then trying to avoid responsibility by any means.
So far Turkey has not set any preconditions. They keep talking about it – but there are no preconditions in any signed document. They have just been trying to set up a situation, where Armenia would back away from the protocols first, and give Turkey the moral victory… which is exactly what the Constitutional Court has done.
As to having brains or not, if you continue attempts to offend me, instead of engaging into civilized discussion with due argumentation, I will be forced to delete your comments.
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