Turkish-Armenian protocol to be signed before Armenian president's visit to Turkey: Turkish FM

"The Turkish-Armenian protocol will be signed before Sargsyan's visit to Turkey," the minister added.

The protocol's final version will be signed by foreign ministers of Armenia and Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward Nalbandian on Oct.10-11, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told in an interview with Trend News.

On Aug. 31, Turkey and Armenia in the talks mediated by Switzerland reached an agreement to launch "internal political consultations" to sign the Protocol on Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and Protocol on Development of Bilateral Relations, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

"Political consultations will be completed within six weeks, and following that two protocols will be signed and submitted to the two countries' parliaments for approval," the ministry said.

Turkey-Armenia ties have been severed since 1993.

Davutoglu said the work to normalize the Ankara -Yerevan relations will continue regardless of whether Sargsyan visits Turkey to attend a football match or not.

"During his visit to Armenia, the Turkish president has not put forward any condition. The work on the normalization of the Ankara -Yerevan relations will continue irrespective whether Sargsyan will arrive in Turkey for a football match or," the minister said.

The signing of the protocol and its ratification by the parliament are different issues, Davudoglu said. The protocol is expected to be discussed in the parliament after its signing, Davutoglu added.

/Trend News/