Turkey, Armenia sign landmark protocols tpwards normalized ties

After a three-hour delay due to last-minute disagreements, Turkey and Armenia on Saturday signed two landmark protocols outlining the restoration of bilateral ties and the opening of their shared border. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian signed the protocols in Zurich to normalize ties and establish diplomatic relations in the presence of Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, whose country mediated bilateral talks towards normalized relations at the request of both parties. The signing ceremony was also attended by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and French Foreign Minister Bernard Couchner, whose three countries co-chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group, which mediates talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Slovenian Foreign Minister and Committee of the Council of Europe Chairman Samuel Zbogar also attended. After returning to Ankara, in an interview with state-run channel TRT, Davutoglu played down the tension in Zurich, calling it “a procedural issue,” and “a natural element of the process.” What matters is how both countries are determined to resolve issues at the heart of the matter, and such crises will not be remembered, he argued. Calling the signing a crucial step and reflection of Turkey's peace- and stability-based foreign policy vision, Davutoglu said now the pacts will be submitted to the parliaments of both countries for ratification. "Following parliamentary approval, the protocols will go into effect in two months. Opening the borders automatically after the signing of the deals is out of the question. The ratification of the signed protocols will require the formation of suitable international, psychological, and political conditions," Davutoglu said. Stating that relations between Turkey and Armenia have entered a new era, he said that now the peoples of Turkey and Armenia will be able to understand each other better. The protocols will facilitate greater cooperation between Turkey and Armenia at international forums and will help dispel prejudices among our peoples, Davutoglu said. On the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, he stressed that Turkey intends to ensure comprehensive peace in the region. "This would be possible if all issues in the region are solved in a fair and equitable way," he said. "Solving the Armenian-Azeri conflict is of vital importance. No matter what happens, Turkey will never forsake Azerbaijan. If the normalization spreads to the entire region, then it will get the prosperity, peace and stability it deserves. The ongoing Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh is illegitimate. We are right in linking the normalization process and (ending) this illegitimate occupation." Unless there is peace, Armenia won't be able to take part in the region's balances, Davutoglu stressed, adding that Armenia would benefit greatly from normalizing its ties with both Turkey and Azerbaijan. Asked if Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will come to Turkey to watch a Wednesday soccer game between the two countries' national teams, Davutoglu said, "Turkey hopes Sargsyan will show the same political courage and maturity as President Abdullah Gul. It's up to him."