Turkish official: Armenia-Turkey protocols will be ratified only after Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is resolved

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved, before the ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols on the normalization of relations between Yerevan and Ankara, said Suat Kiniklioglu, Deputy Chairman of External Affairs for the Justice and Development Party (AKP).

"Just as the Turks, Azerbaijanis and Armenians stand for the peace in the region, which requires, first and foremost, solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem," Kiniklioglu said. "The process of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations may be continued after the conflict resolution without any preconditions and ratify the protocols."

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.

Armenia must properly assess and use the historic opportunity for the normalization of relations with Turkey, the official added.

Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10, 2009.

"Even without the process of normalizing relations, Turkey will continue its course, but Armenia will suffer the most, if the process does not begin, as I stated in a meeting with officials in Yerevan," he said.

Turkey did not deport illegally living Armenian over the past five years given the difficult economic situation in Armenia, he said. The official commented on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement on eviction of illegally living 100,00Armenians from the country, if Armenia does not get rid of the Armenian diaspora's control.

"I hope that Armenia will take this into account," Kiniklioglu said. "Armenia should appreciate the historic opportunity that it get for the normalization of relations with Turkey."

Erdogan warned of possible expulsion of 100,000 Armenians illegally living in Turkey, in an interview to the British BBC television and radio company. It was the minister's response to the question asked about Ankara's reaction to adoption of a resolution recognizing the so-called "Armenian genocide" by the several countries' parliaments.

A week after the adoption of the resolution on "Armenian genocide" by the U.S Congress's committee, the Swedish parliament by a margin of one vote, approved the document that recognizes the so-called "genocide."


/Trend News/