Suspension of Protocols: A Welcome yet Incomplete Move

On April 22, President Serge Sarkisian made a televised announcement on the process of normalization between Armenia and Turkey. The president said that Turkey was not ready for the normalization process, that the preconditions set forth by Turkey were unacceptable, and that “the pointless efforts of making the dialogue between Armenia and Turkey an end in itself” were also unacceptable. He stated, however, that Armenia will not exit the process, but will suspend the ratification of the protocols.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) has reason to approach this development with guarded optimism. Armenia’s decision to effectively suspend discussions until a change in attitude from the Turkish side is the most open acknowledgment to date of the dangers inherent in this process.