ANKARA—Turkey on Tuesday rejected a call by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to normalize relations with Armenia, citing a 2010 ruling by Armenia’s Constitutional Court on the validity of the Turkey-Armenia protocols.
While in Yerevan Monday, Clinton said that the “ball was in Turkey’s court,” when asked about the two countries’ efforts to normalize relations.
“We are committed to seeing Armenia and Turkey normalize relations because we think this is a better path forward for the citizens of both countries and we strongly support ratification of the protocols [of normalization] without preconditions,” said Clinton. “We believe these are countries that should have open borders, should work together, should trade, and they should have people to people exchanges because it would be mutually beneficial to all concerned.”
“Turkey’s position on the issue is clear,” a Turkish diplomat told the Hürriyet Daily News, adding that the Armenian court’s 2010 ruling made reference to the Armenian Genocide, which has angered Turkey.
At the time Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Armenia’s Constitutional Court reference to the Armenian Genocide was against the spirit of the normalization process with Yerevan.
“We have never taken the protocol to our Constitutional Court. We took it directly to our Parliament, without making changes. We didn’t employ a mediator on the text. We didn’t carry out any read-between-the-lines operations. This is proof of our sincerity. Armenia has tried to change the text,” Erdogan said at the time.
The Turkish diplomat also cited a provision of Armenia’s Declaration of Independence, which was referenced in the Armenian court ruling as problematic for Turkey. That provision 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.”
Erdogan should know better how the democratic system works in civilized countries. The “protocols” had to be considered and approved first by the Constitutional Court in Yerevan before it was submitted to the parliament for ratification. This is how we do it in Armenia. And thankfully the Armenian Constitutional Court found the document flawed and against the national interests of the Republic of Armenia. The checks and balances of the Armenian Government stopped that terrible document in its tracks.
Now if Turkey wants to normalize the relations with Armenia then they should first recognize the Genocide, sit down with the Diaspora and Motherland leaders and draft a new document which clearly defines the new Wilsonian borders and a slew of other compensation matters to the heirs of the victims of the genocide.
It is as simple as that.
No need to complicate this further. Turkey is the LEGAL heir of the Ottoman Empire and under international law it has the LEGAL obligations of its predecessor’s crimes against humanity.
We should NEVER trust the Turks…nor western power’s politics .. ENOUGH
Bravo, Mr. Erdoghan
Your political morality is much higher than the U.S. State Secretary’s moral values. Armenian illegitimate President, Georgian tie-eating President, and Azerbaijani criminal President are tragically far away from You in their political weight and moral priciples. I know You also surpass US President in Your political rating — US President is the 9th and You are the fourth. Moreover, poor Obama could not keep his promise as referred to genocide — whether past, present or future; whether in Anatolia, in the Armenian Highlands or in Africa. But You were able to protect You promise.
Well put
NOW.. where is the “Serious questions” part that Clinton was talking about? Why isn’t the United States pressuring Turkey to normalize ties? Why is the US not placing sanctions against Turkey? Why can’t the US tell Turkey that it will get no money nor arms until it makes good ties with Armenia, Israel, Cyprus and Iraq? Or did Clinton go to Yerevan for a photo up and to tell Armenians what to do but not Turks.
Samvel jeshmaridian Phd ? What a not so brite turkish man.
Nobody should rattle and dream about open borders. The border will remain till Karabakhs resolution. We are glad to watch mass emigration from Armenia. We want Armenia without Armenians.
Who is dreaming Turkoglu Roger ?
Armenia has been doing fine for 20 years being completely blockaded East and West.
She can do fine for another 20, then another 20, then another…..
RoA is far more secure with an Independent Artsakh, than without: why exchange reality for a fake open border when Turkey can close it anytime she chooses.
Occupied Western Armenia is a desolate dump. Turkey needs an open border so Armenians will build it up. Nothin doin: the thieving Turks will steal whatever Armenians create – again.
We’ll wait for Turkey to break up and then peacefully take legal possession of Wilsonian Armenia.
No point to expend our talent creating something for Genocidal Turks to steal.
Mass emigration ? Last RoA census in 2011 showed slight population increase. Not much, but negative growth has bottomed. There is always a lag: population increase will accelerate next couple decades.
You Asiatic Tatar invaders missed your chance to wipe us out.
Wait for the payback: it’s gonna a be bitch.
And you will see Turks living on the Moon before you see Armenia without Armenians.
Thanks to the money transfers by these “immigrants” Armenian army is able to buy more sophisticated weapons even if … be sure one Armenian would remain in Armenian this would be enough to turn Azerbaijani Khanat to the hell if needed
Armenians waited almost 100 years and can still wait, however it is Turkey that can’t wait, any time the whole structure of Turkey may break into pieces, Armenians should be patient
After looking at erdogans picture,his irreponsible rantings,and behavior,was at the monkey cage in the zoo.No disrespect to the monkeys,a perfect image.
Is this the same Turkey whose politicians and its palace historian don´t become tired to justify the annihilation of 3 Christian folks between 1915-1923 ?
So has Turkey abandoned its 90 years old systematic denial policy?
Was it not the same Turkish PM who accused Armenians of committing a genocide against Turks in 1915?
Turkey is a fails state otherwise its education ministry won’t be able to deliver books and maps to its School children, where neighbor states being shown as part of great (not a stupidity act at all). or simply deliver stupide video to school children accusing Armenian of committing genocide against Turks during WWI
Genes can never change
born with you
Where-ever you live in any polar …west or east
I learned through discussing with people …
If you have Seljuk genes or Armenian…
You are what you are
Your genes are born with you
and you will die with it…
No escape…
You can’t be Aristotle in one day…
Genes can never be modified
I must swear…!!!
Sylva
Compared with this fundamentalist mohammedan primeminister of islamic republic of turkey, talat pasha was an angel! This fundamentalist shun hates armenians!
Nope, they all come from the same genocidal factory, the only difference is SSDD, “Same shit, different day”.
aliev and erdogan look like two brothers that came out of the same donkey
Ես դեռ չեմ հասկանում. Այս երկօրյա միջազգային կիսվել, թե ինչ եք տաքացնել այն: Մենք բոլոր մարդկային էակները պետք է մենք հավատում ենք այն, ինչ մենք հավատում ենք, մենք ի վերջո կողքին, ինչպես մյուս աշխարհում. Մենք թուրքերն են fundamentalist ասել, ինչ եք ուղղել մեզ պատշաճ կերպով օգտագործել այդ բառը ընկերները գիտեին, որ մեզ չեք prejudiced. Մի փնտրեք թերություններ Եթե ես չգիտեմ հայերեն, Google էր սխալ թարգմանություն:
Armenians should be carefull there are forces trying to devide them, they should be carefull.
Still complaining? So many years have passed and still Turkish political establishment’s declarations demonstrate complete ignorance (or incompetence) of international laws. From the very beginning of the creation of the protocol (dead-born fruit, indeed), it was necessary to probe the text with the constitutions of the countries involved.
There is a reason for acting this way – rejecting, complaining, … 2015 is coming and all that comes with it. Turkey’s masters and sub-masters try to make most of it. So, if Turks can calculate, they better calculate now (better late than never). They will gain in all senses if they acknowledge Armenian genocide. They need to imagine and model this happening and do calculations. It seems that their masters and sub-masters don’t let them.