MosJan Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 looks like it has been sighned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Armenia-Turkey Protocols signed in Zurich 10.10.2009 23:20 GMT+04:00 http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_print.gif http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_mail.gif /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu signed the Protocols envisaging normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations on Saturday. As a PanARMENIAN.Net correspondent reported from Zurich, the ceremony took place in presence of Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana, Armenia’s Ambassador to Switzerland Charles Aznavour and Turkey’s Ambassador to Switzerland Oguz Demiral, Slovenia's Foreign Minister, Chair of CoE Committee of Ministers Samuel Zbogar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Done Deal: Protocols officially inked today in Switzerland By John Hughes ArmeniaNow editor Published: 10 October, 2009 Article toolshttp://www.armenianow.com/images/printable_icon.gifprintable versionhttp://www.armenianow.com/images/emailthistoafriend_icon.gifemail to friendhttp://www.armenianow.com/images/comment_icon.gifcomments (0)share the article As anticipated by all and dreaded by many in Armenia and abroad, a series of protocols was signed Saturday night in Zurich Switzerland that is expected to establish normalized relations between Turkey and Armenia, while also widely feared as rewriting Armenian history. The ceremony, scheduled for around 8 p.m. Yerevan time was delayed when the Armenian delegation objected to a statement that the Turkish side wanted to add to the proceedings. It is believed that the statement was intended to link the Nagorno Karabakh settlement to the rapprochement process – a condition the Armenians have objected to from the start of negotiations. http://www.armenianow.com/images/uploadedimages/ai4141ai407501.jpg The signing ceremony resumed around 11:15 p.m. Yerevan time (8:15 p.m. in Zurich) at the University of Zurich, and Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandyan and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu put their names on documents that have drawn wide support from the international diplomatic community. Making special trips to demonstrate their countries’ support of the signings, on hand were US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. Respected Armenian institutions such as the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Armenian Assembly of America, have urged support of the protocols and have called for objective dialogue on the issues. On Friday, a group of prominent Diaspora leaders from singer/actor (and current Armenian Ambassador to Switzerland) Charles Aznavour to billionaire businessman Ruben Vardanian of Moscow signed a letter of support saying that by signing the protocols: “The Armenian leaders with the sense of high responsibility for the future of the motherland and coming generations, act today with wisdom and courage for the establishment of the relations between the two countries and the opening of borders without any preconditions.” But against the support came a lashing from the powerful Armenian National Committee of America America saying: "The Obama Administration's attempts to force Armenia into one-sided concessions . . . is short-sighted and will, in the long term, create more problems that it serves." Also on Friday, multiple thousands in Yerevan streets voiced to the contrary the disdain of political parties at home and other Diaspora organizations – most sympathetic to Armenia’s oldest party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaksutsyun. As they have since the protocols were announced August 31, the Dashnaks led the largest anti-government rally seen since February 2008, when oppositionists crowds swelled daily, prior to further events that led to Armenia’s worst violence on March 1, 2008 when 10 were killed and more than 200 injured in street warfare. Opposition to the protocols has centered on two main concerns believed to be implied in the documents. First: The establishment of a historical commission to debate events of 1915-18 in Ottoman Turkey is widely feared at home as legitimizing Turkey’s claims that the deaths of up to 1.5 million Armenians has been mischaracterized as “genocide” by the Armenians (and 22 governments that have passed legislation recognizing it), when in fact according to the Turks they, too, suffered at the hands of the Armenians in collateral impact of World War I. Second: The protocols call for “recognition of territorial integrity” of borders, a condition that has a two-prong impact. One: It could imply that Armenia must concede its “occupation” of land internationally-recognized as belonging to Azerbaijan around the Armenian enclave of Nagorno Karabakh. Two: It could mean that, by recognizing Turkey’s current border it would negate legal claims currently in debate by Genocide survivors who have called for reparation and indeed for compensation for land they say was stolen from their ancestors in the 1915-18 displacement of Armenians from what is now Turkey. Consistently, and with apparent growing impatience, President Serzh Sargsyan has dismissed the outrage over “pre-conditions” as a misunderstanding at best, and, at worst, a deliberate provocation by his critics to undermine his authority. In any case, ink on the pages put these protocols into the machine of diplomatic process that is next to see them ratified or rejected by parliaments of both countries. With ratification expected, the result would mean that within two months borders between Armenia-Turkey would be opened for the first time since Turkey closed them in 1993. Saturday’s signing comes a day before a city-wide celebration is planned in capital Yerevan, marking the 2,791st birthday of the city. In extraordinary fashion, especially considering the impact of the world financial crisis, Yerevan has been cleaned and decorated and prepped for celebration of a day that usually passes with only perfunctory recognition. The appearance of elaborate neon holiday lights and the creation of a historic fantasy land in Republic Square has led to criticism that the planned celebration is less about honoring Yerevan and more about creating a diversion from the protests that are likely to share the capital’s streets in wake of today’s expected but nonetheless inflammatory development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 ANCA STATEMENT ON U.S. PRESSURE FOR ADOPTION OF THE TURKEY-ARMENIA PROTOCOLS http://www.anca.org/assets/spacer.gif http://www.anca.org/assets/spacer.gif WASHINGTON, DC – Following is the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) statement on ongoing pressure by the Obama Administration on Armenia to sign the Turkey-Armenia Protocols. ##### ANCA STATEMENT ON U.S. PRESSURE FOR ADOPTION OF THE TURKEY-ARMENIA PROTOCOLS The Armenian National Committee of America expresses regret at news of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s participation in a possible signing ceremony for the Turkey-Armenia Protocols. The Obama Administration’s attempts to force Armenia into one-sided concessions, through adoption of the Turkey-Armenia protocols, is short-sighted and will, in the long term, create more problems than it solves. There can, as a matter of both basic morality and political reality, be no healthy or enduring relationship between Armenia and Turkey that is not built upon the foundation of Turkey’s acceptance of a true and just resolution of the Armenian Genocide. The U.S. arm-twisting of the government in Yerevan to accept an agreement that would call this very crime against humanity into question, both squanders America’s moral capital in the cause of genocide prevention, and sets back the cause of genuine Armenian-Turkish dialogue by many years. The Protocol’s proposed establishment of a “historical commission,” is already being used by Turkey’s leaders to bolster their government’s worldwide campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide. U.S. pressure to adopt these flawed documents dishonors the noble efforts of U.S. diplomats, such as Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, Consul Leslie Davis, and others, who courageously worked to stop the Armenian Genocide between 1915 and 1923 – efforts that are well documented in the U.S. national archives. It also stands in sharp contrast to President Obama’s campaign pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Rather than honoring this moral commitment, the President has, sadly, used the full force of American diplomacy to compel Armenia, a landlocked and blockaded nation still seeking to overcome the brutal legacy of the Armenian Genocide, to agree to a process that calls into question this crime against all humanity. Armenian Americans remain deeply opposed, along with the rest of the Armenian Diaspora and a growing tide of domestic opposition within Armenia itself, to this one-sided agreement that directly threatens the security of Armenia, surrenders the rights of the Armenian nation, and insults the dignity of every Armenian. ##### Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 European Commission welcomed signing of protocols 10.10.2009 23:44 GMT+04:00 Print version Send to mail /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Commission on Saturday welcomed the signing by Turkey and Armenia of protocols for the establishing of diplomatic relations and bilateral relations. 'This Armenia-Turkey agreement will benefit all countries in the South Caucasus region,' the Commission said in a statement released in Brussels, m&g reports. 'The signature of the protocols confirms the desire of both Turkey and Armenia to turn a page and build a new future,' EU Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, was quoted as saying. The Commission said it looked forward to the ratification and implementation of the protocols, which were signed in Zurich on Saturday, 'according to the agreed timetable and without any additional pre-conditions.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Famous Armenians urge to support president's policy A number of Diaspora representatives, whose contribution into both supporting the Karabakh conflict settlement and the recognition of the Armenian Genocide cannot be questioned have addressed an open letter to the whole Armenian nation claiming their support to the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s policy and urging the world-spread Armenians to follow their example. Herewith is the complete text of the letter: “Dear compatriots, The Soccer Diplomacy initiated by the President of Armenia in September of last year opened the door for the process of the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey. It has drawn the attention and the support of the entire international community. It is clear that this process does not mean to forget the past and to question the fact and the importance of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian leaders with the sense of high responsibility for the future of the motherland and coming generations, act today with wisdom and courage for the establishment of the relations between the two countries and the opening of borders without any preconditions. We support the policy adopted by the Armenian authorities by urging all our compatriots in Armenia and Diaspora to assist this process in all possible ways. Charles Aznavour – Paris Artur Chilingarov - Moscow Edurado Ernekian - Buenos Aires Hrayr Hovnanian - Washington D.C. Jean Jansem - Paris Armen Jigarkhanian - Moscow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 inch vor yeghav arden yeghats e, hetdarts ch@ka, te vorqanov sa sxal er kam jisht der chgitenq, der var e kmna miyayn ogtvel inchits or karrogh enq iys rotokol kochvatsi mez hasanaliq iravunqnerits.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Tigran Balayan explains the reason delayed the signing of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols 11.10.2009 00:33 GMT+04:00 http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_print.gif http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_mail.gif /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia's Foreign Ministry spokesman Tigran Balayan explained the reason of delay of signing of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols. As a PanARMENIAN.Net correspondent reports from Zurich, after the ceremony Tigran Balayan, noting that a very important step in Armenia-Turkey relations has been made today, welcomed by the international community, said that a temporary delay in the signing ceremony of the Protocols was caused by the attempts of the Turkish side to make changes in the verbal statements, scheduled after the signing. The Armenian side disageed with those changes being of historic nature. Discussions with the mediators and ministers resulted resulted in the signing Protocols without previously announced verbal statements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Georgette Avagian: October 10 now a day of mourning for Diaspora 11.10.2009 00:55 GMT+04:00 http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_print.gif http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_mail.gif /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Diaspora will not be silent, and we will take certain steps, Georgette Avagian, historian and representative of "Hay Dat" in Jerusalem told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, commenting on the recently signed Armenian-Turkish Protocols. According to her, Diaspora of Jerusalem is already organizing meetings and discussing further actions. Georgette Avagian noticed that the process of delaying the signing of the Protocols was just a game, designed for the Diaspora. "Now April 24 and October 10 become days of mourning for us, because today we have lost our historical lands, and the issue of the Armenian Genocide recognition has turned to dust," Georgette Avagyan said. She also stressed that the Diaspora will continue to fight. "We have fought against the Turks 100 years, and now we will continue to do the same," the representative of "Hay Dat" stressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harut Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 now that it's signed, i have high hopes that this has opened a whole new game field which will work out just fine for us... now it's prime time to move fast and smart and take advantage of what the protocols have to offer, instead of wasting time whining about it for another 100 years while the other side uses it for its advantage... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghos Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Agreed. Opening the diplomatic relations are a symptom. A positive one for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 This is the time to show the world that we are united and behind the Fatherland, instead of bickering and dividing. Now we are in the game and not on the sidelines, if we fail this we have no one else to blame but ourselves for our demise. The west did not push both countries for the sake of seeing them friendly, even though that's what they say publicly but they did it because they need the transfer route that Armenia can offer. Therefore let's take full advantage of it and benefit from it by lifting the standard of living, so that the young generation don't leave the country in search of work elswhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted October 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 (edited) This is the time to show the world that we are united and behind the Fatherland, instead of bickering and dividing. Now we are in the game and not on the sidelines, if we fail this we have no one else to blame but ourselves for our demise. The west did not push both countries for the sake of seeing them friendly, even though that's what they say publicly but they did it because they need the transfer route that Armenia can offer. Therefore let's take full advantage of it and benefit from it by lifting the standard of living, so that the young generation don't leave the country in search of work elswhere. Yes Yervant, this thing was not for the love of our black/brown eyes. "Sev acheren shat vakhetsir"? http://farm1.static.flickr.com/47/362802886_fe6f523c6b.jpg ==== http://news.am/en/news/6287.html "Armenian-Turkish border to create supply line for Afghanistan: U.S. official 19:35 / 10/10/2009  U.S. was interested in seeing the border opened primarily to create a new supply line for Afghanistan, U.S. State Department official told Associated Press news agency on condition of anonymity. “We're certainly prepared to help diplomatically in talking to both sides and helping them narrow their differences,” the source said. According to him, U.S. takes a strong interest in maintenance of peace and stability in that part of world. President Barack Obama spoke to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to reaffirm his support for the normalization process, the official underlined, adding that a lot of Americans care deeply about Armenia and Turkey. News from Armenia - NEWS.am" Edited October 11, 2009 by Arpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellektor Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 They are not going to open the border. Unlike us Armenians, the Turk knows what they are doing and has never, ever renounced its sick, delusional pan-Turkist delirium which makes the destruction of an Armenian state of any shape, size or form, its number one priority. They want the liberated regions around the illegally drawn, genocidal borders of the NKAO to thin down the “Armenian wedge” to later claim Meghri and drown Armenia in a Turk quagmire. The whole charade was about this, not relations or “reconciliation”. Our last hope is that the brave people of Artsakh will not give in and will refuse the ceding of territory to the sore, genocidal, warmongering “Azeri” losers, otherwise it will be only a matter of a couple of decades before Armenia will cease to exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted October 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 (edited) Of course, to many of us this a passe, stale news. The only significance is that the world has taken notice of it. Unlike all the other previous “treaties” this one is under spotlights and audio-visually recorded in living color on silicon chips, still "stone"** . It gives credence to the word used by many Armenian sources - “ԱՐՁԱՆԱԳՐՈՒԹԻՒՆ“ (etched in stone); http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=22725 ------ http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/10...eace/index.html CNN Foreign Affairs Correspondent ZURICH, Switzerland (CNN) -- Turkey and Armenia signed an agreement Saturday night establishing diplomatic relations after nearly a century of animosity.  Armenian and Turkish ministers sign accord as dignitaries, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, look on. 1 of 2  The signing was delayed because of Armenian objections to the wording of a final oral statement intended to be given after the signing. However, neither the Armenians nor the Turks gave a closing statement after the signing. No further details were immediately available. The agreement will open their common border within two months after it is ratified by each country's parliament. The border has been closed since 1993. Turkish-Armenian relations are often overshadowed by the dispute over the massacre of ethnic Armenians in the final days of the Ottoman Empire, more than 90 years ago. Armenians accuse Ottoman Turks of committing genocide, killing more then a million Armenians beginning in 1915. Turkey vehemently rejects these allegations. Don't Miss Turkey, Armenia edge toward peace deal Turks mourn relative of Ottoman sultan A complicating issue is the "frozen conflict" in neighboring Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnically Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan. Turkey closed its border with Armenia after Armenia attacked Azerbaijan over the territory. Watch report on the signing from CNN's Ivan Watson » During the U.S. presidential campaign, then-candidate Barack Obama called for passage of the Armenian genocide resolution. Since his election, he has stepped back from the issue. ** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon Btw. The Armenian word for "silex= flint" is ԿԱՅԾՔԱՐ = spark stone Edited October 12, 2009 by Arpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Clinton Helps Save Historic Turkey, Armenia Accord ZURICH — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton basked in the glow of praise from her Nobel laureate boss on Saturday after spearheading successful efforts to salvage historic accords between longtime bitter foes Turkey and Armenia. President Barack Obama, who a day earlier was the surprise winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, telephoned Clinton in Switzerland to congratulate her on overcoming a last-minute hitch that threatened to scuttle the Turkish-Armenian deals, a senior State Department official said. Clinton was headed to the airport in the Swiss city of Zurich following an intense and frantic day of negotiations when she got the call from Obama, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the call was private. "He was very excited, he felt like this was a big step forward and wanted to check in," the official told reporters aboard Clinton's plane as she flew from Zurich to London, the second leg of a five-day tour of Europe and Russia. "He called to congratulate her and the team." "We had a good night in Zurich," Clinton said on the plane. For several tense hours in overcast Zurich, however, that was anything but a sure thing. Having come merely to witness Saturday's signing, Clinton instead became embroiled in a dramatic turn of events that began when both sides balked at signing agreements on establishing diplomatic relations and opening their sealed border after a century of enmity. Both had objections to language in statements the side wanted to read after signing the deals, concerns that burst into the open just minutes before the ceremony was to begin at the University of Zurich in the shadow of Switzerland's snowcapped Alps. Clinton's motorcade had just arrived at the venue when it abruptly turned around and returned to the luxury hotel where she had met separately earlier with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. There she spoke by phone from the sedan in the parking lot, three times with the Armenians and four times with the Turks. At one point, a Swiss police car, lights and siren blazing, brought a new draft of the Turkish statement from the university to the hotel for review. After nearly two hours, Clinton and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met in person at the hotel and drove back to the university where negotiations continued in the presence of Swiss and European mediators and the foreign ministers of Russia and France. About an hour later, Clinton and the others brokered a compromise under which no statements would be read at the ceremony. She said she had repeatedly impressed on the Turks and the Armenians that the agreements, known as protocols, that had been negotiated over months were too important not to be signed now. The protocols, she said, should speak for themselves without additional statements. "We just kept making our points," she said, referring to herself and the top U.S. diplomat for Europe, Philip Gordon. "This needed to be done." "It's just what you sign up for," Clinton said of her role."When you are trying to help people resolve long-standing problems between themselves, it is a very challenging process." To take effect the agreements must be ratified by the Turkish and Armenian parliaments and face stiff opposition in both countries, which have a particularly bloody history. The contentious issue of whether the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians during the final days of the Ottoman Empire amounts to genocide is only hinted at in the agreement as is the matter of the disputed Armenian-occupied enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Turks have close cultural and linguistic ties with Azerbaijan, which is pressing Turkey for help in recovering its land. Turkey shut its border with Armenia to protest Armenia's 1993 invasion of the territory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ARMENIAN NATION [ 2009/10/12 | 17:35 ] society politics PROTOCOLS AND PRECONDITIONS By Raffi K. Hovannisian The history of the Armenian people has been an ordeal of suffering, tragedy, and genocide. In this millennial series of misfortunes, however, never has the nation invited destruction upon itself. But today it stands at the brink, with a small group of improperly elected leaders apparently racing toward a forsaking of both identity and interest. With the stroke of a pen, the Armenian president and his foreign minister have crossed the line of danger and dignity; in Zurich, Switzerland on October 10, 2009, they resigned from a long-standing national quest to preserve the fundamental rights, security, and integrity of an ancient land and its native heirs. The signing of the two diplomatic “protocols” between Armenia and Turkey might indeed constitute the latest entry in the ledger of crimes committed, and covered up, against the Armenian nation. Core Values are Not Commodities As a servant of the Armenian nation, reflecting both prior office and present opposition, I am appalled by this latest offense. As an Armenian citizen, for many years denied that honor by successive authorities, I ache as the soul of our nation is traded away for illusory promises of “good will” and “open borders” with Turkey. Our vital values, from our collective responsibility as heirs of the Genocide to our individual expression of liberty and belonging, are not commodities. That unrequited murderous conception of 1915—the original plan to drive to extinction the Armenian people, the Armenian homeland, and so the Armenian species—is one of the principal sources of our modern identity, just as its equitable resolution is the anchor of our future national security. This is Duplicity, Not Diplomacy What will “open borders,” a courtesy commonly extended at no cost to all civilized nations, cost the Armenians? Of course every Armenian seeks peace, prosperity, and good-neighborly relations. But what we have in these protocols is only an expensive illusion of them. The ends, generally stated, are sound: Open borders and normal diplomatic relations among neighbors are pure and prudent goals. But the means we use must be as pure and prudent as the ends we seek. Unfortunately, the secretive diplomatic process launched by the Armenian and Turkish administrations is defective at the fundaments, sourced as they are in bloody soil, where a pronounced asymmetry of power survives to this day. First, the protocols stipulate that Armenia relinquish its lawful historic rights and extend an unlimited de jure recognition of Turkey’s de facto borders, which were drawn and defined on the very basis of the eradication and violent dispossession of the Armenian people from its ancestral heartland. In so doing they demand, and have received, the Armenian presidency’s endorsement of that fantastic crime against humanity which has deprived generations of Armenians of its civilization, heritage, and patrimony. Second, the protocols entail a joint condemnation of terrorism, yet fail to include any corresponding renunciation of the broader criminal outrage of genocide. Third, the protocols impose a requirement for a “dialogue on the historical dimension” of relations. This measure, representing a unilateral attempt at imprisoning the Armenian genocide in a bilateral echo chamber, not only challenges the untouchable veracity of the Genocide, but secures the complicity of the Armenian state in absolving Turkey of any responsibility for its genocidal actions. Once these terms are brought to life, absolutely little will remain of the legitimate expectation to secure Turkey’s and the world’s reaffirmation of and redemption for the Genocide. Turkey will forever deflect and delay liabilities for its genocidal acts by leveraging the infinite and inconclusive nature of the bilateral “dialogue.” Normalization or not, these protocols move us not one inch toward reconciliation, that pure and total communion based on the truth—a brave recognition of all aspects of shared Turkish-Armenian history, including the great genocide and national dispossession of the Armenian people. The Protocols in the Proper Perspective In all the pomp and circumstance of diplomatic “breakthroughs,” we cannot forget that the burden of “normalization” rests, as it always has rested, with the Turkish republic. The decisions to close the border with Armenia and to withhold normal diplomatic relations—violations, both, of all viable international norms—were decisions that Turkey made and realized on its own. Hence, each of the Turkish “concessions” reflected in the protocols represents only the most basic minimum commitment of a decent and civilized country. Turkey’s bare and stated readiness to open borders and normalize relations—the extent of its responsibilities in the framework of the protocols—is, therefore, a non-event. No international initiative should have been necessary for those moves. And that Turkey has made that determination now—only after accepting the sacrifice of an entire nation—deserves not praise but continued skepticism in the substance behind its diplomatic flourishes, whether they relate to the European Union or broader geopolitical objectives. From Protocols to Parliaments Now that the Armenian and Turkish sides have signed these protocols, the second stage, of ratification, is set for the parliaments at Yerevan and Ankara. Regrettably, dispensing with a parliament’s traditional role of advice and consent in the foreign policy of state, the executives have imposed a prohibition on amending or altering these protocols in any way. While this stands in clear contradiction with democratic standards and practices, it also denies the public and its members in each country the right to exercise or engage their opinions in this process. This extraordinary methodology flies in the face of customary diplomatic practice, which calls for the establishment of official relations through a simple exchange of notes. The scheme here is plain, perfectly tailored, and aimed at tying down for good history’s loose ends. Soon the Armenian National Assembly, too, will be called upon to bear complicit responsibility in giving legislative validation nearly 90 years after the fact to the illegal Bolshevik-Kemalist pacts which crowned the genocidal process and sought to seal the fate of the Armenian nation. What is more, not content with pursuing this official acceptance of Turkey’s long-standing occupation of the Armenian homeland, its leaders will continue audaciously to abuse every turn of the ratification process in order to deflect their own culpability by linking implementation of the protocols and lifting of the Turkish blockade with what they pitch as the “occupied territories of Azerbaijan.” Clearly, that would be a disingenuous and inapposite reference to the freedom-loving people of Mountainous Karabagh, its odds-defying liberation and constitutional decolonization from the Turco-Stalinist legacy, and its resultant territorial integrity. In the final analysis, Armenian and Turkish citizens have been refused both voice and choice in determining the outcome of an immensely significant process that will forge the future course of both countries. This is especially distressing, because on the judgments to be made in the coming weeks and months shall turn the fate of generations to come—and their imperative to face history, remember collectively, and bridge in earnest the great Turkish-Armenian divide. October 12, 2009 Yerevan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Turkish Opposition Speaks Out Against Protocols [ 2009/10/12 | 15:26 ] politics On the heels on Saturday’s signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols, members of the Turkish parliamentary opposition have expressed their displeasure over the document. Many in Turkey see it as a reversal for the country’s foreign policy, especially in terms of the Karabakh issue. Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Onur Öymen told Today’s Zaman that the protocol signed in Zurich is evidence that Turkey has taken a step back in its fundamental foreign policy regarding Armenia for the past 17 years. Indicating that a process of normalization with Armenia can only take place if Armenia withdraws from Azerbaijani territory, Öymen argued that Turkey had made unilateral concessions with the agreement. “There will be great pressure in Turkey following these signatures because the protocol texts include articles about Turkey opening its border and establishing diplomatic ties, but there is not even the slightest sign that Armenia will withdraw from the territories it invaded. There is not the slightest reference to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute,” Öymen said. Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli said the day the agreement was signed was a “black day.” He said protocols signed with Armenia were not based on reciprocity and that they were not equal and balanced. Felicity Party (SP) leader Numan Kurtulmuş also joined the critics of the protocol, describing it a “historic mistake.” He said this issue first being handled in Parliament, which represents the will of the nation, was the necessity of democratic ethics. “The [Justice and Development Party] AK Party’s concessive attitude under the cover of its ‘zero problems policy’ not only undermines Turkish foreign policy, it also casts a shadow over Turkey’s prestige,” Kurtulmuş said. In the meantime, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Armenia’s withdrawal from Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh would help gain his Parliament’s approval for a peace accord signed between Turkey and Armenia. “We as a government paved the way for this cooperation, but whether or not it will be applied is up to Parliament to decide,” he told a party congress in Ankara. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z'areh Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Now that these protocols are signed.... Those who think Armenia will gain anything, let's go over the gains and the losses and then decide. - The borders will not open, unless there is a clear sign on "development" on Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations. (another way of demanding more Armenian concessions) - Historical commission WILL be formed and WILL address the Armenian genocide... but scientifically this time, not unlike what we, Armenians have been "claiming" so far. (another way of saying "tallyho to future genocide claims) -Today's existing borders..... Armenia is forced to accept the drawing of our national borders by others and apparently we have no say i it. (no comment necessary) I always knew, and have said so in the past, that this last point, borders, will be a big trump card for major Turkish concessions. Was I wrong!! What have we gained? Here I think that before answering the "what" we should ask "How". If opening of the illegally closed borders by Turkey was so vital for Armenia that we played ALL our cards at once, how will Turkey satisfy Armenian needs? HOW? President Sarkisian says "by showing pragmatism, so that Turkey will open the border". REALLY, we showed pragmatism but all we got in return is a lecture on behviour on good neighborliness, and most importantly Turks are saying, with no uncertain terms "you will get nothing unless you abandon Artsakh". The "what" in our gain is clear enough, open the border and get the commerce going, however the "how" is hidden in all Armenian official discussions. Take that for "pragmatism" Mr. Sarkssssian. If anybody thinks I am wrong in my assessment, they are either in denial, purposely obtuse, or haven't been reading the words of Turkish officials in the last....three or four months, and confirmed today in the Foreign Minister Davutogu's prepared post-signing speech which brought Nalbandian face to face with the true reality of what he was about to sign. Tooooo late! The body language of the two foreign ministers seen in the after-signing photos says it all. Mekhk mez! yev AMOT mer ayspes-gochvads "ghegavarutian". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 FREEDOM FROM GEORGIAN DOMINANCE * The opening of the Turkish-Armenian border will especially favor the solution of issues facing Armenians of Javakhk, said president of the "Javakhk" Patriotic Union Shirak Torosyan, adding that the alternative roads will help Armenia become stronger. "I definitely believe that we will get at least something out of this and that is freedom from Georgian dominance. A considerable sector of Armenians, the Armenians of Javakhk, will benefit from this," said Torosyan and added that whereas Armenia is forced to go along with the illegal actions against the Armenians of Javakhk due to dependence on Georgian roads, there will no longer be dependence after the border opening. Torosyan also believes that the realization of the signed bilateral protocols will contribute to prevention of the emigration of Armenians from the Armenian-populated territories. "Today we are trying to do the same thing in a kind of virtual reality by trying to stand up for the lands of Western Armenia; meanwhile, we are losing the Armenians of Javakhk," said Torosyan. Besides seeing the positive sides, the chairman of the "Javakhk" Patriotic Union has certain concerns and sees risks in the Turkey-Armenia Protocols. But he is still optimistic. "We must also remember that we take risks in life as well." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Ramkavar Azatakan Party urges RA NA not to ratify Protocols 13.10.2009 21:04 GMT+04:00 http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_print.gif http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_mail.gif /PanARMENIAN.Net/ In connection with RA-Turkey protocols signing in Zurich, Ramkavar Azatakan Party of Armenia issued a statement, specifying that Turkey willl not ratify Protocols, citing Karabakh issue as a reason. In this connection, the Party urges RA NA not to ratify Protocols, demanding RA Government to prepare a new agreeement to include only stipulations on establishement of diplomatic relations and opening of borders, while refusing the remaining stipulations as unacceptable, Ramkavar Azatakan Party press service reported. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 "Heritage" Party demand resignation of Armenian President 13.10.2009 20:37 GMT+04:00 http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_print.gif http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_mail.gif /PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 13, the Heritage Party issued a statement in connection with the signing of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols in Zurich, which indicates that the process of normalizing relations between Armenia and Turkey is imposed by the international community. “Heritage” warns that during the following stages of normalization of relations Armenia will have to deal with the Turkish state, which systematically violates its obligations. In their statement, the Heritage Party again criticized the activities of the Armenian diplomacy and Armenian-Turkish Protocols, highlighting their negative aspects. Heritage argues that signing of the protocols is illegal, since protocols were signed by the leadership, came to power through rigged elections. The "Heritage" Party demands resignation of the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and calls upon all political forces to unite efforts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 52 per cent of Turkey's public against normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations 13.10.2009 19:57 GMT+04:00 http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_print.gif http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_mail.gif /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Turkish society, too, have concerns about some provisions of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols that worry the Armenian public, Ruben Melkonyan , a professor in Oriental and Turkic Studies told a press conference in Yerevan today. According to Ruben Melkonyan, it is a vivid example of a diplomatic language, the protocols are written in and give rise to ambiguity. As the expert stressed, the political and social circles in Turkey are concerned, mainly, with the creation of the historical subcommittee: what issues will be discussed with the Armenian side, if over 90 years Turkey has denied the fact of committing the Genocide. Mr. Melkonyan also informed journalists that recently an opinion poll has been conducted in Turkish to examine the attitudes to the opening of borders with Armenia and 52 per cent of respondents were opposed to opening the border and normalization of relations with Armenia, only 28 per cent of polled supported the process of reconciliation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Erdoğan urges soccer fans to keep politics away at Turkey-Armenia match 13.10.2009 19:56 GMT+04:00 http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_print.gif http://www.panarmenian.net/news/images/ico_mail.gif /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday urged soccer fans to keep politics away when Turkey and Armenia face each other on the pitch in a World Cup qualifier, as the two neighbors aim to restore diplomatic ties. "The Armenian president and the Armenian national team will see what Turkish hospitality is," Erdoğan told deputies of his ruling AK Party ahead of the game in the city of Bursa. "I know our soccer fans in Bursa and in the rest of the country will behave like respectable fans. I believe our country and the citizens of Bursa will not bow their heads to politics and to the aims of those who want to use the game to achieve something else," Erdoğan said, Reuters reported. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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