Turkey and Armenia Work to Re-Establish Relations

Tensions remain high in Turkey and Armenia in the midst of negotiations to re-establish diplomatic ties between the two nations, whose borders have been closed since 1993. While protocols were signed in Zurich this October, hurdles still abound.

A current roadblock involves a decision handed down on January 12 by the Armenian constitutional court, stating that initial protocols signed between the two countries are in conformity with the Armenian constitution. This has raised anxiety within the Turkish Foreign Ministry in that it may require Turkey to recognize the 1915 Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire based upon a line in the Armenian Declaration of Independence.

This is problematic for the Turkish government, given that it denies the genocide occurred.

The protocols do not specifically address the issue of genocide, but instead call for both sides to, “implement a dialogue on the historical dimension with the aim of restoring mutual confidence between the two nations, including an impartial scientific examination of the historical records and archives to define existing problems and formulate recommendations. ”As a result of Turkey’s response, a study will be conducted between the parties to clarify the meaning of the Court’s ruling.