YEREVAN (AFP)–The head of Armenia’s parliament said Thursday that it would not ratify a landmark deal on ties with Turkey before the Turkish parliament does, accusing Ankara of setting new conditions on the agreement.
“The National Assembly of Armenia will start discussions on the ratification of the protocols only after their ratification by the Turkish parliament,” Speaker Hovik Abrahamian told journalists.
He accused Turkish officials of trying to link the ratification to Armenia’s acceptance of a pro-Azerbaijani solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its silence on demands for recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
“These are not fair steps, as initially this was a question of normalizing relations without preconditions,” Abrahamian said.
Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols in October on establishing diplomatic ties and re-opening their shared border in a deal hailed as a historic step towards ending decades of hostility stemming from Turkey’s annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians from their historic homeland.
But Armenia in recent weeks has expressed growing frustration over Turkey’s failure to ratify the protocols, with President Serzh Sarkisian earlier this month threatening to walk away from the deal if Ankara “drags out” the process.
Turkish officials have repeatedly said the agreements will not be ratified without progress in Armenia’s dispute with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Why is the Republic of Armenia (Thanks Garen) so frustrated and eager to sign this protocol???? It just doesn’t make any sense, especially when a overwhelming segment of the diaspora that has “read” these protocols disagree with these protocols? What is frustrating the RoA’s current administration? Maybe that is the question that needs to be answered, not as to why and when the protocols will be ratified by the RoA.
I wonder if the gentleman above (Hovik Abrahamian) or the other political leaders in Armenia didn’t expect the process would lead to the current situation in which Turkey demands further conssesions from Armenia. Given the financial hardship for Armenia, Turkey is using its offensive strategy to squeeze us as firmly as it possibly can. It was a no brainer to ordinary Armenians that the protocols were flawed, ambiguous, and useless to Armenia to start with.
What is it that makes the western world to prefer Turkey staying where it is, and as is? If not the only, at least one answer is that Turkey does not change to fit, but turns everything in its way. One of very Turkish way of treating minorities – making them hostage of its foreign ambitions. Besides an evident “benefit”, which Turkey will gain from Protocol – delay of the renewal of the treaties signed by demolished Bolshevik Russia, Turkey will “face” influx of skillful Armenians. Armenians always contribute to the prosperity – the whole world is the witness. But the strategic benefit is that Turkey will acquire a hostage whenever any debate starts about concessions or any legal issues. Who has forgotten Gorbachev’s wordings during Sumgait massacres?! There is no other country, to my knowledge, which acts so savagely with its citizens. It scares western countries – even most troubled economically, from making Turkey the family member. Armenians will never be safe in Turkey. Even more, they will become tools for pressurizing Armenia – remember refugees from Azerbaijan. Armenian Diaspora is able today to speak about these issues only because it belongs to western civilization. Armenians in Turkey will not make even second sort. They will be counted after many other “important” minorities. Mr. Hovik Abrahamian, you look old enough to remember intelligent people in former Soviet Union becoming skillful in reading “between lines”. If your boss “assures” that there is no precondition in Protocols, then let him know that not less intelligent people not only read clearly stated preconditions, but also read between lines the nearest future – Armenians becoming hostage minority of third-fourth sort. So, be man and say NO to protocol.
One thing is clear after reading this article: if Armenia is threatening to walk away from this deal if Ankara drags it out, and if Turkey states that this deal will not be ratified unless Armenia succumbs to Azerbaijan, then there clearly is no common ground upon which Armenia and Turkey can barter political accomodations. There is no logical and impartial path for these two governments to relate to one another as long as Turkey refuses to be impartial. Turkey knows only one thing which is to keep striving for the Turkic world’s preeminence in Asia Minor and Central Asia, which is the heart of the Pan-Turkic Ideology which was responsible for the Armenian Genocide in the first place. Turkey and Azerbaijan are one nation-two states, therefore they stick together under this Pan-Turkic Ideology united against Armenia. This is ideological aggression of which Armenia is the victim and the international community couldn’t care less. If they did, they wouldn’t act so facelessly and force Armenia to swallow its Genocide claims and capitulate before Turkey, which these dirty protocols in essence force Armenia to do. This dirty deal is dead on arrival and the only reason it even arrived is Obama’s, Clinton’s, Solana’s, Lavrov’s and Calmy-Rey’s pressure.
We will not forget also B. Kouchner. So, makes a sextet:
Calmy-rey, Clinton, Kouchner, Lavrov, Obama, Solana.
Turkey consider itself as winner in the signing of the protocols and will never sign them . They use the protocols for more demands and will use them in case of Armenians demand to their rights in their homeland in western Armenia or in case of the genocide ., so it is better for Armenians not only to stop ratifying them but ask to add their demands to consider” Luzon treaty “invalid and ask for historical Armenia and let Turkey confess the fact of genocide in , So why shouldn’t we play their own game . We have rights and it’s time for them .
The confiscated properties in Western Armenia are worth around 2 Trillion dollars. Those properties were traded in return for the oligarchil concerns of opening the border with Turkey and about 50 million dollars from the United States. It looks like we were sold out on the street.
May they all go to Jahenem and quickly. May no Turk/Azeri stand on two legs in any liberated Armenian territories.
achkerits erevum a vor sut a asum.