Protocols Signed After Delay

By Weekly Staff on October 10, 2009

ZURICH, Switzerland (A.W.)–The signing of the protocols between Turkey and Armenia in Zurich took place after a delay of a few hours on Oct. 10.

The signing was delayed after Armenian officials expressed reservations over a statement Turkey was to issue after the signing. The two sides eventually agreed on not releasing a statement.

“We are deeply disappointed by the signing, albeit under unusual circumstances,” noted ARF Eastern U.S. Central Committee chairman Antranig Kasbarian. “It is clear that today’s delay came about when the Turkish side insisted on making a parallel statement regarding Nagorno-Karabagh, and that this statement caused the Armenian side to balk. We can only hope that this incident will cause Armenia’s leadership to wake up to Turkey’s real intentions in this matter.”

‘Last-Minute Diplomacy’

U.S Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was on her way to the signing ceremony when she received news of the delay and returned to the hotel to hold further talks with Armenian officials.

“We are facilitating the two sides in coming to an agreement on the statements that they’re going to make at the ceremony,” State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said.

According to AP, Clinton engaged in last-minute diplomacy aimed at salvaging an accord to establish diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia after a century of enmity. “She’s involved in working out an agreeable text,” said a senior U.S. State Department official. “She’s talking with the Armenian foreign minister, and she had a long talk with the Turkish foreign minister.”

According to sources, in its statement Ankara wanted to appease its ally Azerbaijan by mentioning that the border between Turkey and Armenia would not be opened before the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict.

Reacting to news on the delay, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) expressed hope that the Armenian side’s reservations marked the beginning of a “return to common sense.” ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian said, “We expect, as well, that the the broad-based, popular Armenian opposition to these protocols will impress upon U.S. policy makers that it’s both morally wrong and politically counter-productive to pressure Armenia into such dangerous and one-sided concessions.”

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