Erdoğan: Conditions ara unsuitable for ratifying protocol with Aemenia

On the sidelines of this week's nuclear security summit in Washington, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, along with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Deputy Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, and Vigen Sargsyan, Sargsyan's deputy secretary-general, also in attendance. During the one-and-a-half-hour meeting, the two leaders had a detailed exchange of views on a letter that Erdogan last week sent to Yerevan with Sinirlioglu. In the letter, Erdogan said that Turkey is committed to the rapprochement protocols signed last fall with Armenia, expressing determination to make further progress in the normalization process. They agreed to task their foreign ministers to continue working together on this. Sargsyan reportedly urged Erdogan to speed up ratification of the rapprochement protocols. In response, Erdogan reportedly called ON Armenia to be loyal to the spirit of the protocols towards normalizing relations between the two neighboring countries and ensuring peace and stability in the Caucasus. After reiterating Turkey's commitment to the protocols, Erdogan said Parliament is unlikely to ratify them right now due to recent legislative moves in the US and Sweden to officially recognize the so-called Armenian "genocide" claims as well as signs by the Armenian government and an Armenian high court ruling calling into question their own commitment. Erdogan also urged Sargsyan to avoid statements that harm the normalization process. After this meeting, Sargsyan also met with US President Barack Obama. Erdogan and Obama are set to meet today to discuss such issues such as Iraq, Afghanistan, the Iranian nuclear controversy, and the stalled Turkish-Armenian normalization process. Erdogan and Sargsyan are also scheduled to attend a lunch hosted by Obama in honor of leaders at the summit.