ANKARA (AFP)—A top Turkish diplomat will travel to Switzerland and the United States to seek their support over an Armenian court ruling that Ankara says threatens deals with Yerevan to normalize relations, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Feb. 3.
Feridun Sinirlioglu, undersecretary at the Ministry, “will visit these two countries in the coming days to express our concern” over the ruling last month by the Armenian Constitutional Court, spokesman Burak Ozugergin told reporters.
Ozugergin told PanArmenian.net that Sinirlioglu would meet with Switzerland’s State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Michael Ambul on Fri., Feb. 5. “Bilateral meetings of this kind, focusing on bilateral relations, carry regular character,” he said, adding that details of the talks would be relayed to the press “later.”
After months of Swiss-mediation and U.S. encouragement, Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols in October 2009 to establish diplomatic ties and reopen their shared border.
But the process hit the rocks after the Armenian court upheld the legality of the protocols, but underlined that they could not contradict Yerevan’s official position that the Armenian Genocide must be internationally recognized.
Turkey accused Yerevan of trying to rewrite and set conditions on the deals. Armenia’s president and foreign minister have warned that the rapprochement is under threat of collapse.
Ozugergin said Ankara maintains its desire to build better ties with its eastern neighbor. “There is no problem in Turkey’s Armenian opening. But Armenia has a problem with its Turkey opening,” he added.
The reconciliation process is also complicated by Ankara’s insistence that normalizing Turkish-Armenian ties depend on a resolution on the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict favoring Azerbaijan.
Avetis, never negate what I, and so many others, quickly gathered from our homes to send to our
brethern in Haiastan upon its sudden freedom from the Armenian republic of USSR. What I gathered
immediately was useful… sheets/pillowcases/towels, clothing, lots of yarns and their needles – and fabrics, needles, threads, scissors, and more – whatever they’d need – and later to the Lachin area to be used, including two sweaters which I’d not completed. Later there were monetary donations… but the immediates that I (and so many others) sent them were transported via the generosity of the Lincy organization – still ongoing!
Armenia needs to recognize that the diasporans have had more experiences with the governments of the world – some good/some bad. And Armenia has to contend with the worst – a Turkey. Did Serge and cohorts forget the Genocide and the Turkish denials to date? A Turkey never to be trusted in whatever they endeavor – never.
This is when the leadership of Armenia, if they were patriots, shall have gained more insights in dealing with not only the Turks, by seeking our own people – our diasporans – who shall have openly discussed these Protcols which favor only the Turk! (Yet there is word that Serge/cohorts are filling their pockets).
By now I would have thought that the Armenians shall have learned to trust none but our own peoples – Armenians. (Except the pimples in our path, Serge/cohorts and the PROprotocolites
who all favor the Turks’ demands – against the needs of our nations citizenry in all the villages.
Why criticize the hands that are stretched out – for the hands that will deprive Armenians of their
fledgling nation – Haiastan. Manooshag