Thursday, December 14 2017 18:23

ArmInfo.The Turkish Foreign Ministry accused the head of the Armenian foreign policy department Edward Nalbandian of distorting the truth about the Zurich  protocols and trying to mislead the international community.

Mr. Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, in his  statement during his visit to Athens on 13 December 2017, held Turkey  responsible for the delay in the ratification of the Protocols signed  between Turkey and Armenia on 10 October 2009.  These claims do not  reflect the truth and aim at misleading the world public opinion.

Turkey has pursued its efforts to normalize relations with Armenia on  several levels since Armenia proclaimed its independence in 1991.

In this context, the said Protocols, aiming to normalize relations  between Turkey and Armenia are the result of the negotiations  facilitated by Switzerland.

However, the Constitutional Court of Armenia, with its ruling on 12  January 2010 introduced additional preconditions and restrictive  clauses that are against the letter and spirit of the Protocols.

Subsequently Mr. Serzh Sargysyan, President of Armenia, publicly  announced on 22 April 2010 that the ratification of the Protocols was  suspended. It is a well-known fact that the Armenian Diaspora was  against the signing of the Protocols from the onset and has been  pressuring the Armenian Government not to ratify them.

Lately, Mr. Sargysyan, in his speech during the 72nd Session of the  UN General Assembly on 19 September 2017, made groundless claims  blaming Turkey for the delay in the ratification of the Protocols and  stated that they will declare the Protocols null and void in the  absence of progress and meet the spring of 2018 without those  Protocols.

Despite Armenia's negative stance on the Protocols, Turkey is  committed to the primary clauses of the Protocols. These Protocols  are still on the agenda of the Turkish Grand National Assembly's  Foreign Affairs Commission and for their ratification, it is  essential that a favorable political atmosphere and peace in the  South Caucasus is secured.

Turkey's primary target pertaining to the Protocols process is to  realize the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia in  such a way that, comprehensive peace and stability in the South  Caucasus is provided. In this vein, it is necessary that in the  settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict progress is achieved,  based on Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and in light of the  relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council. In any case, Armenia  must put an end to its invasion of Azerbaijan's territories.

Mr. Nalbandian's claims on genocide in his speech do not reflect the  truth either. As ascertained by the decisions of the European Court  of Human Rights, the 1915 events are a matter of legitimate debate  within the framework of freedom of expression. The attempts of  ill-intentioned groups to impose their one-sided narrative and to  exert pressure on the world public opinion are morally and legally  incorrect and do not contribute to peace and stability in our region.  Our expectation from Armenia is that it answers for one of the  gravest crimes against humanity in recent history, the Hocali  Massacre, rather than dealing with controversial historical events.