ARMENIA’S DECISION IS BENEFICIAL FOR TURKEY: ANKARA RESPONDS TO COALITION’S STATEMENT
Tert.am
22.04.10
The statement made by the Armenian parliamentary coalition over the
Armenia-Turkey Protocols is beneficial for Turkey, CNNTurk quotes
Turkish retired ambassador and a foreign policy expert Yalim Eralp
as saying.
"Earlier Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said that they had made
a decision over the Protocols and that they would make a statement
about it soon. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared
in Washington that Ankara is accountable for its signature put under
the Protocols. The Armenians had earlier adopted a law which allows
annulling international agreements. But this is not the case. The
signatures are not being disowned: it is only the ratification of the
Protocols that is being suspended. In fact the ratification process
is suspended in Turkey. By the same token, judging by the situation
in Turkey, Armenia’s decision is a convenient one. It leaves the
impression that the Armenians will take action as soon as the Turks
do so," said the diplomat.
"Earlier President Sargsyan had said that they would not start the
ratification of the Protocols unless Turkey does so. I do not think
this is a serious development. The process would have been terminated,
should they have withdrawn their signature. But the signatures are
still in force, and it is the ratification that is being suspended,"
explained the expert.
Local Turkish daily Hurriyet, in turn, quotes Turkish Foreign Ministry
Spokesperson Burak Ozugergin saying that they do not have any official
information about it.
"We do not have any official information about that decision yet. If
it is confirmed, we will make a relevant statement," Ozugergin was
quoted as saying.