Withdrawing the Protocols on the threshold of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is influential: political scientist (updated)

YEREVAN, 16 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS.Political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryanbelieves now was the right time to withdraw the Armenian-Turkish Protocols. As “Armenpress” reports, this is what the political scientist wrote on his Facebook page.“President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has withdrawn the Armenian-Turkish Protocols from the National Assembly. We can consider this page in the failed relations with Turkey turned over. Armenia’s political elite kept this issue on the agenda for a long time and slammed it in Turkey’s face on the threshold of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. I’m certain that this step will be influential from the perspective of showing the international community Turkey’s policy of denial in which there are many preconditions. Now let’s see what kinds of blows the international community and foreign media will cause to Turkey, which threw all the efforts and mediation down the drain,”Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan wrote.

According toDirector of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Hayk Demoyan,in 2009, Armenia was planning to withdraw the Armenian-Turkish Protocols, if Turkey continued with its policy of denial. In an interview with “Armenpress”, Demoyan added that the past six years proved that Turkey’s position on and attitude towards Armenia has remained unchanged and that Turkey hasn’t done anything to change the frozen relations.

Demoyan stressed the fact that the statement on withdrawing the Protocols is the continuation of the Pan-Armenian Declaration promulgated at Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex and derives from the principles and provisions stated in the Declaration, adding that he doesn’t share experts’ concerns about the fact that news about the withdrawal of the Protocols may distract the world’s attention from the Armenians’ main claims in light of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

On February 16, President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan sent a letter to Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Galust Sahakyan informing him about his decision on withdrawing the Armenia-Turkey Protocols from the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia. The letter particularly runs as follows:

“Dear Mr. Sahakyan,

We have clearly imagined all the possible options of the future developments while beginning the process of regulation of the Armenia-Turkey relations without preconditions. We were ready for both the comprehensive regulation of the ties via ratification of the protocols and the possibility of their failure, as we had nothing to hid and it would become clear for the international community whose fault it actually was that the last closed border of Europe was not opened and the chance was missed.

It has been six years since the signing of the Armenia-Turkey protocols. During this entire period Armenia has shown a consistent standpoint in the issue of realization of the protocols.

Notwithstanding, one should mention the lack of political will of the Turkish authorities, distortions of the protocols’ letter and spirit, and continuously putting forward preconditions. The policy of denialism and editing history has simultaneously received a new impetus on the threshold of the 100thanniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

I have stated for a number of times that time is not endless. I reflected on this issue in September 2014 and at the UN General Assembly. That’s a pity that this call of Armenia fell on deaf ears of Turkey’s leadership.

Hence, I have made a decision on withdrawing the “Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey” and “Protocol on Development of Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey” from the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia” signed in Zurich on October 10, 2009.”