Protocols to end Turkish blockade are signed as Turkey links implementation to Karabakh

Armenia, U.S. object to Karabakh linkage

by Vincent Lima

Published: Thursday October 15, 2009

Foreign Ministers Edward Nalbandian of Armenia, left, and Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey sign protocols on the normalization of relations as European Union foreign affairs chief Javier Solana, Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, back row from left, look on, at the University of Zurich, Oct. 10. Tigran Tadevosyan/Photolure

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Yerevan - The foreign ministers of Armenia and Turkey on October 10 signed a historic accord that promises to end the 16-year Turkish blockade of Armenia, even as Ankara insisted that implementation was unlikely without major Armenian concessions to Azerbaijan. Armenia has ruled out such concessions as a precondition for proceeding with the agreement.

Under the terms of the accord, which consists of two protocols and a timetable, the border would be opened two months after ratification by the parliaments of the two countries.

The agreement was the outcome of "soccer diplomacy" initiated by President Serge Sargsyan of Armenia, who seized the opportunity of a Turkey-Armenia World Cup qualifying match in September 2008 to invite his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gül, to Armenia. Taking up Mr. Gül's return invitation, Mr. Sargsyan on October 14 went to Turkey to watch the return match and press for prompt ratification of the protocols.

Foreign Ministers Edward Nalbandian of Armenia and Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey signed the protocols in Zurich. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Russian, French, EU, and Swiss counterparts were on hand to witness the signing. But they were called upon to engage in a frantic diplomatic intervention as last-minute objections threatened to derail the signing. The ceremony took place three hours after the scheduled time.

The diplomats have declined to describe the issues that arose, but it appears that the Turkish side planned to make a post-signing declaration that would link implementation of the protocols to "progress" in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, and the Armenian side objected.

Mrs. Clinton told reporters later that Armenia and Turkey each had objections to the other's prepared statement to be delivered after the signing. In the end, no statements were made at the ceremony.

"There was an agreement that the protocols should speak for themselves," Mrs. Clinton said in a press briefing soon after the signing. "They have been carefully, painstakingly negotiated over many months.... People are free to say whatever else they want, but let the protocols be the statement."

Under the protocols, the sides agree to establish diplomatic relations, open the border, and "implement a dialogue on the historical dimension with the aim to restore mutual confidence between the two nations, including an impartial scientific examination of the historical records and archives to define existing problems and formulate recommendations." For this dialogue, an intergovernmental commission with a sub-commission "on the historical dimension" is to be established. The proposed sub-commission is controversial because it could give credence to the Turkish contention that the jury is still out on whether the events of 1915–17 or 1915–23 constituted genocide.

The parties also confirm "the mutual recognition of the existing border between the two countries as defined by the relevant treaties of international law."

Signing statement

In a televised address just a few hours before the signing ceremony, President Serge Sargsyan had presented Yerevan's official interpretation of the protocols in what amounted to a signing statement.

After arguing that there is "no alternative to the establishment of the relations with Turkey without any precondition," the president strongly reaffirmed Armenia's commitment to the universal affirmation and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, ruled out any linkage between the implementation of the protocols and the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, and warned Turkey against dragging its feet on ratification.

He also took the position that the protocols left the matter of the border between Turkey and Armenia "to be resolved through the prevailing norms of international law."

The prepared statement that Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian was supposed to deliver in Zurich presumably made some of the same points. According to the Turkish daily Hurriyet, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey objected to a reference in the statement to the Genocide.

Karabakh linkage

Turkey closed the border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity with Azerbaijan, as Turkish-supported Azerbaijani troops suffered setbacks in their efforts to thwart the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. Since then, Turkey has insisted on the withdrawal of Armenian forces from disputed territories as a precondition for opening the border.

The protocols unveiled on August 31 and signed on October 10 make no reference to Karabakh and Azerbaijan. But Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has consistently held that Turkey would not open the border unless that precondition is met. Armenia categorically rejects any linkage between the two issues.

If the Karabakh conflict is resolved, "our people will quickly adopt the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations," Mr. Erdogan announced after a high-level meeting of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on October  12. "I want to reiterate once again that Turkey cannot adopt a positive attitude unless Armenia withdraws from occupied Azerbaijani territories," he added.

In his prepared statement for Zurich, Mr. Davutoglu was almost certainly going to make the same point. According to Hurriyet, Mr. Nalbandian found that unacceptable.

International reaction

President Barack Obama reportedly called Mrs. Clinton to congratulate her on helping the parties find a way to sign notwithstanding their objections to the statements. Both Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton have called for the normalization of relations in a reasonable timeframe and without preconditions.