The Turkish parliament started discussing the Armenia-Turkey protocols yesterday. There were different speeches spoken at the parliament but probably the most important one is foreign minister Ahmed Davutoglu’s speech. The later explained the content of the protocols in the name of the Turkish parliament and explained certain things. “The status-quo is out of the interests of our brother Azerbaijan because it has been many years that the Azeri lands are occupied. The status-quo is not in the interests of Armenia and our country either… It is important to break the tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia and open the way leading to settlement,” said Davutoglu and set forth the reasons why the Turkish parliament should ratify the protocols. According to him, the first reason is the fact that in the document Armenia recognizes the territorial integrity of Turkey. “No one in Armenia will dare to demand lands from Turkey. By signing these protocols Armenia approved that hence it is important to do it legally,” said Davutoglu. The second reason is that the ratification of the document may enable the Armenia and Azerbaijan reach peace. “Since the process of normalization of the relations between Armenia and Turkey the tension of 17 years between Azerbaijan and Armenia has started weakening, and the settlement process fastened… Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is as saint as the territorial integrity of our country. In terms of this issue there is no other country making so many efforts as Turkey. We will do our best and possible to settle this conflict,” said the Turkish foreign minister. One day prior to the mentioned parliamentary session the Turkish government held a security council session, which was mostly about “the conflict of Karabakh in the context of the initial protocols signed between Armenia and Turkey.” In a word, the ritual of the protocols has finished and now Turkey is openly demonstrating that its final goal in this process is the settlement of Karabakh conflict, including taking the role of an intermediate of the conflict. This is what the Armenian authorities have been refuting since April 22 and waiting for Turkey to ratify the protocols first.
