Time in Yerevan: 11:07,   20 April 2024

Expert highlights key points of President Sargsyan’s Munich speech on Armenian-Turkish relations

Expert highlights key points of President Sargsyan’s Munich speech on Armenian-Turkish 
relations

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Expert on Turkish studies Ruben Safrastyan, commenting on the speech of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan at the Munich Security Conference, highlights the point that at the current circumstances the Armenian-Turkish protocols have lost their significance.

In an interview with ARMENPRESS, Safrastyan said the Armenian President clearly stated that the Armenian-Turkish protocols, which were signed by his initiative, reflected the realities of that times, but in current conditions they have lost their significance. “This was a very important emphasis since really that protocols have lost their meaning in current conditions”, the expert said.

Ruben Safrastyan said the President in his speech very clearly noted that Armenia remains committed to normalizing the bilateral inter-state relations with Turkey without any preconditions, but the Turkish leadership, in fact, continues its ancient policy it chose against Armenia, in other words, that is the policy of preconditions. “The second key point is that it was stated that the leadership of Turkey made a decision not to normalize the relations with Armenia, but quoting Azerbaijan is just an excuse used by the Turkish leadership who do not have a desire to normalize the relations with Armenia”, Ruben Safrastyan said.

The expert also attached importance to the fact that the Armenian President stated that Armenia took a lot of steps to normalize the relations with Turkey as those who were opposing the protocols comprised large number especially in the Diaspora. However, the expert said, the Turkish side refused from these protocols.

The Armenian President in his remarks at the Munich Security Conference said thirty years have passed since the fall of the Berlin wall, but Turkey still continues to keep the border with Armenia closed. He said with confidence that Armenia has taken all the possible measures in order to overcome that impasse. 

“Is Azerbaijan preventing Turkey from establishing relations with Armenia, as many are trying to convince us? No, it is not the case. The chief impediment is the lack of political will on the part of the Turkish leadership.
I believe you may be aware that many representatives of the Armenian diaspora were not too happy about that decision of ours. It was natural, as they were successors of survivors of the Genocide and of homeland dispossession. I travelled around the globe back then, met with our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora, community after community, and discussed with them this very sensitive issue.

Have the Turkish leaders displayed such political will? Have they been faithful to the commitments they had signed up to?

We cannot wait eternally for Turkey's response. The Protocols were negotiated under the existing circumstances. If Turkey desires to await other circumstances and only then to ratify the Protocols, then it is profoundly mistaken. Under potential new circumstances, a new document is to be negotiated. Armenia does not resort to the language of preconditions, but equally, Armenia shall never accept preconditions put forth by anyone”, the President said.




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