"I do not think Turkey will agree only on opening of border".
The Turkish parliament finds it difficult to ratify the Armenian-Turkish protocols in current conditions, said Murat Mercan, chairman of the commission on foreign affairs of the Turkish parliament, while speaking to Turkish Zaman.
“When we consider the decision of the Constitutional Court of Armenia, we see that it sets exact provisions about how the regulations of the document should or should not be applied. This decision gives grounds for different interpretations and creates uncertainty”, he explained.
As for whether this uncertainty will affect the ratification of protocols in the parliament, the commission chairman said: “I think it will be difficult for Turkey to ratify the protocols in such conditions. It is not known how they will be executed and as there is a negative attitude on two important issues from Turkey’s side, I do not think Turkey will agree only on opening of border”.
“We should give some time to the international powers that are trying to smooth this uncertainty around the protocols”, Mercan said, “The international community should understand a very important circumstance: by changing the balance in the Caucasus, it is necessary to try to create the situation that will be favorable for everyone. If the problems existing in the region are not settled in full, the world community will face even a more serious threat than now”.
As for how the sides will benefit from this process, Mercan said that Turkey will fix a significant progress in recognition of its borders and the issue of “Armenian genocide”. Meanwhile, by improving relations with Turkey and settling the Karabakh conflict, Armenia will not lose anything. It will have the opportunity to raise the volumes of foreign trade and participation in regional energy projects.
“The world community does not recognize the lands occupied by Armenia as Armenian. In case of their liberation Armenia does not lose anything, while Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has stated clearly that the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan will immediately improve as soon as the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is settled”, the chairman on foreign relations of the Turkish parliament told Zaman.
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