U.S. Praises Armenian Court Ruling On Turkey

Saturday, 23 January 2010 01:42 |

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gordon RFE/RL -- The United States welcomed a controversial ruling by Armenia’s Constitutional Court late on Friday, effectively dismissing Turkey’s claims that it runs counter to the Turkish-Armenian fence-mending agreements.

“We view the court decision as a positive step forward in the ratification process of the normalization protocols between Turkey and Armenia,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon said in written comments sent to RFE/RL. “The court decision permits the protocols, as they were negotiated and signed, to move forward towards parliamentary ratification, and does not appear to limit or qualify them in any way.”

“We are confident that both Turkey and Armenia take their commitment to the protocols seriously, and we urge timely ratification of the protocols by both countries,” added Gordon.

The comments followed a reported phone conversation between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. The Anatolia news agency quoted an unnamed Turkish Foreign Ministry official as saying that Davutoglu reiterated Ankara’s claims that the Armenian court’s interpretation of the protocols’ implications contradicts their “essence and substance.” Davutoglu said earlier on Friday that he will urge his U.S. and Swiss counterparts to put pressure on the Armenian leadership.

Washington’s reaction to the Turkish claims represents a significant boost to Yerevan’s position in the row which has raised more questions about the success of the U.S.-backed normalization process. U.S. officials have repeatedly urged Armenia and Turkey to implement the landmark agreements without preconditions and within a “reasonable” period of time.

“Our position remains the same,” said Gordon. “We support the normalization process, which we believe contributes to peace and stability in the Caucasus. What is critical is to keep the parties focused on the vital importance of moving ahead.”

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Comments

0 # 2010-01-22 19:52

this is an interesting development... I wonder how far would the US go? Do they understand that this document in itself is already a problem and that the different understandings of the text should have been straightened out before they were signed?!!!!

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0 # 2010-01-22 20:36

this is too little too late! they should have spent more time and effort while the protocols were in the stage of negotiations.

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0 # 2010-01-22 20:53

I agree with "too little too late", I think americans did not understand the complexity of the issues and problems between the two nations at first and now they are trying to salvage a process that went out of hands way before it started.

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0 # 2010-01-30 15:31

Of course Americans understand the complexity of issues and problems between the two nations. There is a massive political agenda at work here on the U.S. side and the U.S. government has been involved with these two nations for decades. The area is high in mineral wealth, especially when it comes to oil, and the peace talks are vital to the U.S. agenda. The only true problem that stands in the way is the Armenian people demanding the land that was taken from them and the 1.5 million that were slaughtered to be considered a genocide. It was a genocide with the Jews...why is it not considered so in this matter? The Germans tried to deny genocide as well...and many still do! As an Armenian American I am disgusted at the relentless denial of systematically marching hundreds of thousands of Armenian men through the desert and the raping and torture of just as many women and children. They would find the villagers and lock them in their churches and burn them to the ground. Obama promised the Armenian Apostolic Church his support. He promised to take whatever means necessary to ensure the Armenians get justice with this matter. Instead, he is far too busy running this country into the ground financially.

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0 # 2010-01-30 19:57

But that's always the case with American presidents. They always promise to look into the matter of Genocide yet they never do anything about it. This turn is twofold though! On the one hand, I agree with you Nersesian that it is about the oil but it's also about Turkey getting in the EU. Let's face it, they need an eye within the growing body of powers and their only chance is Turkey. Who holds the best position in human justice and peace? America or the EU? Who has learned from previous World Wars? America or the EU? Where does everyone want to go and live like a true citizen of a state? America or the EU? Look at what's happening with Cyprus. All of a sudden, everyone is interested in solving the issue between the Turkish-Cypriots and the Greek-Cypriots! Why now? After all these years suddenly the UN and the USA remembered that Turkey has to get it's act straightened out?

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0 # 2010-01-30 20:45

i think that there is a dimension here that is being overlooked - the unsustainable and ill constructed foreign policy of the Armenian government. the US, the EU, the oil, the global interests are all important but at the end of the day they were always here and the thrust to fix this is not new, the diffference is that the armenian side used to have some sort of understanding of its place and capacities and the the realities behind turkish statements - a process for the sake of process. this goverment is to blame for the situation at hand.

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