Opposition gives conditional support to Armenia protocols

Turkey and Armenia agreed in late August to start internal political consultations with protocols on the establishment of diplomatic ties and the development of bilateral relations. Foreign Minister Davutoğlu has been speaking with leaders of political parties represented in Parliament and those who garnered more than 1 percent of the total vote in general elections as part of his domestic consultation process. The opposition supports normalization but has three conditions for reopening the border with Armenia. These are Armenia's recognition of the 1921 Treaty of Kars with the USSR that defines the Turkish-Armenian border, its withdrawal from the Nagorno-Karabakh region and giving up its claims that the Ottomans' forced deportation of Armenians in 1915 amounted to genocide.

Davutoğlu told opposition leaders that Armenia's recognition of Turkey's border is a part of the process, adding that Yerevan would formally recognize the Treaty of Kars. He also reminded leaders that the protocol calls for a study of the 1915 events by historians.

Davutoğlu, who started his tour this week on Tuesday, has so far talked with the Republican People's Party (CHP), the Democratic Left Party (DSP), the Grand Unity Party (BBP), the Democrat Party (DP) and the Felicity Party (SP).

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has rejected Davutoğlu's request for a meeting, saying he should explain the details of the Armenian Protocol at a general assembly session in Parliament.

The first leader Davutoğlu met with was SP Chairman Numan Kurtulmuş, who relayed the message that his party does not think it would be right to reopen the Turkish-Armenian border, closed in 1993, before Armenia ends the occupation of the Azeri region of Nagorno-Karabakh and warned the government not to take any steps that might offend Azerbaijan.

The CHP's three conditions

CHP leader Baykal in his meeting with Davutoğlu emphasized that the CHP would support opening the border with Armenia only on three conditions, which are Armenia's ending its refusal to recognize the 1921 Treaty of Kars and ratify it in Parliament, ending the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh in line with UN Security Council resolutions and give up pushing for recognition of the 1915 incidents as genocide on the international agenda. Baykal expressed his opinion that Armenia's claims of genocide of Armenians at the hand of Turks were poisoning the relationship between the two countries. Baykal stated that as long as these three conditions are met, the CHP would support more steps than just opening the border.

Similar requests were expressed by DSP leader Masum Türker, who also noted that pressure from the EU and US on opening the Turkish-Armenian border was a mistake. Speaking to Today's Zaman on the issue, Türker said: “Turkey has always been respectful of its neighbors' territorial integrity, whereas Armenia still demands land from Turkey, even sometimes in official documents. Despite the fact that Turkey recognizes the Treaty of Kars signed with Russia, the Armenian side says even if the protocol is ratified and the border reopened, it will not recognize the Treaty of Kars. Those who are pressuring us to open the border should make sure that Armenia respects Turkey's territorial integrity.”

Recalling that the initial talks have been Swiss-mediated, Türker said this was a mistake. He said the Swiss Federal Parliament has recognized the 1915 incidents as genocide, and underlined that they had filed a lawsuit against Turkish politician Doğu Perinçek for denying the genocide in Swiss territory. “Switzerland is a side in this issue. The talks being held under the mediation of a country that has already chosen its side has weakened its position here. It would have been much better if these talks had taken place under mediation of a neutral country.”