Armenian President recalls Armenian-Turkish Protocols from National Assembly

President Serzh Sargsyan addressed a letter to the National Assembly speaker Galust Sahakyan informing him about his decision to recall Armenian-Turkish protocols from the National Assembly. It reads as follows:

“Dear Mr. Sahakyan,

At the outset of the Armenian-Turkish normalization process without preconditions we fully realized all possible options of developments. Similarly, we were ready for both comprehensive normalization through ratification of the protocols as well as their failure. We had nothing to conceal, as it would become clear to the international community which party bore responsibility for the last closed border in Europe and for the missed opportunity.

Almost six years have passed since the Armenian-Turkish Protocols were signed. Ever since Armenia has been consistent in its efforts to put those documents into effect.

However, we have to state the absence of political will, distortions of the letter and spirit of the protocols by the Turkish authorities and continuous attempts to articulate preconditions. Simultaneously, on the eve of the Armenian Genocide centennial the policy of denialism and history revision has been intensified.

I repeatedly stated, including from the UN General Assembly rostrum in September 2014, that the time is not limitless. I regret that the message went unheard by the Turkish leadership.

Thus, I have made a decision to recall “Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey” and “Protocol on Development of Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey” signed on October 10th, 2009 in Zurich from the Agenda of the National Assembly of the Republic Armenia”.