Serzh Sargsyan recalling Armenia-Turkey protocols

President Serzh Sargsyan has officially notified the National Assembly’s speaker of a decision to recall the Armenia-Turkey protocols from the legislative’s agenda.

In an official address to Galust Sahakyan, the Armenian leader elaborated in detail on the motives behind such a move.

“When embarking on the unconditional normalization of the Armenia-Turkey relations, we had a full understanding of all possible developments. We were ready for both a comprehensive normalization through ratification and a failure, because we had nothing to hide. The international community was supposed to clearly see which side was to blame for leaving Europe’s last closed border unopened and missing the chance.

“About six year have already passed since the protocols’ signing. Over this period, Armenia has permanently demonstrated a consistent position on brining the protocols to life.

“It is necessary to point, however, to the absence of a political will, the misinterpretation of the protocols’ letter and spirit and the repeated references to preconditions by the Turkish authorities. In the run-up to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the policy of denial and editing history is simultaneously gaining a new momentum.

“That time is not inexhaustible is something I have stated repeatedly, including in September 2014 [as I was delivering as speech] from the UN General Assembly’s rostrum. I regret very much that Armenia’s appeal never became audible to Turkey.

“Hence I have made a decision to recall from the National Assembly the October 10 2009 Zurich Protocols on establishing diplomatic ties, and developing relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey,” reads the document.