14 October 2009 / RADİKAL HASAN CELAL GÜZEL,
The signing of the Zurich protocols by Turkey and Armenia is of paramount importance not only for these two countries but for the entire world.
After all, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana all attended the ceremony. The signing of these protocols has most likely brought relief to all global powers. The Zurich protocols are important from many angles. The signing of the protocols ends a century of hostility between the two countries. In fact, it would be more correct to say that it was an important step in ending the Armenians' century-old hostility since the Turks never had a hostile stance toward Armenians. The protocols were an important milestone in building peace in the Caucasus. Hereinafter, relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia will improve as well once the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani land comes to an end.
