We are flying to Kiev, Ukrain with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Tomorrow we will pass to the homeland of Ismail Gaspirali, Crimea. I am asking him if Turkish-Armenian protocols are dead. "No, protocols are alive," says he.
Are they removed to freezer?
"It might be defined that way. It depends on your point of view. If you analyse the process, you will see that our relations both with Armenia and Azerbaijan are better than a year ago. Obviously river is not frozen, it flows."
Obviously there is an unspoken tripartite agreement: Ankara, Baku and Yerevan will make silent diplomacy. There will not be statements that will undulate the public.
And afterwards?... There will be positive steps both towards protocols and the problems in Caucasus...
I asked, "Why did you negotiated with Armenia over protocols without mentioning Nagorno-Karabakh issue?"
Davutoglu tells about a conversation that he had with Onur Oymen from Republican People's Party. Davutoglu once asked Onur Oymen, "You served in Turkish Foreign Ministry for years. Do you believe that our Foreign Ministry negotiated with Armenia without mentioning Nagorno-Karabakh and 1915 incidents?"
"No," Oymen replies.
Obviously parties discussed historical issues besides Armenian occupation during the negotiations in Switzerland. They were also recorded in official reports!
But why they are not included in protocols then?
Davutoglu reminds the method of "constructive ambiguity".
I wrote several times before; Protocols include the general principles that bear a torch both on Nagorno-Karabakh problem and historical discussions.
April 24 Managed Well
Azerbaijan was worried if Turkey gave up on Karabakh to overcome April 24. Armenia was hoping that Turkey will panic when they suspend protocols and the protocols would be ratified in Turkish Grand National Assembly to prevent Obama to utter the word "genocide" on April 24. And if Turkey would not ratify protocols in the parliament, Turkish-American relations would be severly damaged...
Non of these happened. Everyone saw what "won't happen" and now a silent diplomacy is being followed on a more realistic basis.
Davutoglu is very optimistic that there will be positive developments in the process of protocols in the following months.
Taha Akyol/Milliyet
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