Sharmanazov: RPA does not share but respects the position of ARF

YEREVAN, September 23. / ARKA /. The governing Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) does not share the position of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) on the Armenian-Turkish relations, but treats it with respect, the secretary of the parliamentary faction of the Republican Party of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov said.

On August 31, Armenia and Turkey reached an agreement in Swiss-mediated talks to start internal political consultations over two protocols – the protocol about establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries and the protocol about developing bilateral relations.

The consultations are expected to be completed within six weeks; then the protocols are to be signed and submitted for parliaments’ approval.

"The concern of the political forces, meaning ARF, that are constantly talking about the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is reasonable. Both Armenia and Turkey have not only supporters of the ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols, but the opponents of it as well. That is why this issue will be nominated for a discussion by the parliaments of both countries," Sharmazanov said on Tuesday at the Novosti International Press Center.

ARF Dashnaktsutyun is holding a sit-in and hunger strike near the government in Yerevan, protesting against signing the protocols on the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations since they see a threat to national interests of Armenia in them.

"I am familiar with the proposal of our colleagues from the ARF on the inclusion of items regarding the Armenian Genocide and the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, which can not be regarded as preconditions for establishing bilateral relations, but I think that we should not look for hidden meanings between the lines," Sharmazanov said.

He noted that he agrees with those political scientists who believe that the Armenian side got the most out of what could have been obtained at this stage.

"We have always talked about the necessity of diplomatic relations without preconditions, and the Armenian diplomacy has recorded some progress in this sense," Sharmazanov said, recalling the no less important fact that the United States, European Union and Russia are positively in favor of the principles proposed by the President of Armenia.

Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic ties since Armenia became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of support for its ally, Azerbaijan, which had a dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, the ethnic Armenian enclave of Azerbaijan.

There are several sensitive issues complicating the establishment of normal relations between the two countries, particularly, Ankara’s blatant support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process and Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the mass killings of Armenians in the last years of the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

The thaw in the strained relations began in 2008 September after Turkish president Abdullah Gul arrived in Armenia, at his counterpart’s invitation, to watch together with Serzh Sargsyan the 2010 World Cup qualifying football game between the two countries’ national teams.

During that visit the two presidents discussed prospects for engaging in dialogue and normalization of relations.

After the match, the Turkish leader invited his Armenian counterpart to attend the second match between the football teams of the two countries in Turkey on October 14, 2009. –0-