In his interview with the TV8 Channel (Turkey) Murad Merican, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Turkish Parliament, pointed out that there no difference if the Armenian-Turkish protocols will remain in the drawer of his table or will be withdrawn. “I have documents in my drawer that have been awaiting ratification since 1998,” Merican said.

Commenting on the verdict retuned by the RA Constitutional Court, as well as on the Nagorno-Karabakh problem as a precondition to the ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols, which aroused discontent in Turkey, Merican stated that in case of disagreements the two nations must settle them in conformity with international law and in this respect the RA Constitutional Court’s verdict is not of great importance. He stressed that the signing and ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols are independent of each other – the signing depended on the Governments, whereas the ratification on the Parliaments. The Turkish Parliament will focus its attention on the further development of Armenian—Azerbaijan relations, but it would be wrong to sever relations with Armenia. “Do not let our souls get filled with enmity. Let us not reject the points beneficial for Turkey, which are incorporated in the protocols,” Merican said.

Commenting on the Opposition’s accusations that the Turkish authorities are always ready for foreign policy compromises, Merican pointed out that Ankara has never made any foreign policy concessions. Turkey has never made any concessions on either Cyprus or the Armenian-Azerbaijani problems. Nor has it made any concessions on Turkey’s membership in the European Union, he said.

T.P.