Turkey rejects Armenian FM’s accusations on normalization process

Turkish Foreign Ministry rejected Thursday statements by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian accusing Turkey of delaying the ratification of the normalization protocols signed between the two countries in 2009.

In a statement posted on its website, the ministry said that Turkey is still committed to the primary clauses of the protocols and their ratification is still on the agenda of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission, "despite negative attitude and statements by Armenian officials."

The ministry cited a 2010 ruling by the Constitutional Court of Armenia introducing additional preconditions and restrictive clauses "that are against the letter and spirit of the Protocols."

It added that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan publicly announced in 2010 that the ratification of the protocols was suspended, noting that the Armenian diaspora was against the protocols. Sargsyan also accused Turkey during the U.N. General Assembly meetings in September and said they will declare the protocols null and void, it added.

"Turkey's primary target pertaining to the Protocols process is to realize the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia in such a way that, comprehensive peace and stability in the South Caucasus is provided. In this vein, it is necessary that in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict progress is achieved, based on Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and in light of the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council. In any case, Armenia must put an end to its invasion of Azerbaijan's territories," the statement said.

Nalbandian accusations came during a visit to Athens on Wednesday, while he repeated the genocide claims on the 1915 events.

The statement described Nalbandian's genocide comments as false and urged Armenia to confront a more recent crime against humanity, the Khojaly Massacre of 1992, in which 613 Azerbaijanis were killed by Armenian forces during the Nagorno-Karabakh War.