Turkey, Armenia protocols will be signed, says diplomat

It has become a source of curiosity whether a written statement will be released announcing the date and venue of the protocol-signing ceremony between Turkey and Armenia.

Although it is known that the ceremony will take place on Saturday in Zurich, no statement was issued by mediator Switzerland as of late Tuesday when the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review went to print.

“The statement could be released or not. It is up to the host country,” said a senior Turkish diplomat. “No matter whether it is released or not I assure you that the protocols will be signed,” he said, without elaborating.

News reports earlier claimed that Switzerland could not prepare sound logistics for the signing ceremony over fears of the Armenian diaspora’s reactions.

Asked if there would be any participants other than the foreign ministers of Turkey, Armenia and Switzerland, the Turkish diplomat said: “There could be. There are a lot of countries that will be pleased by the normalization of ties between Turkey and Armenia.”

Diplomatic sources said the two neighboring countries were now in a win-win situation, while admitting that the job of Armenian President Serge Sarkisian was much more difficult considering the protests of the Armenian diaspora, which were evident in Paris, New York and Los Angeles.

The signing of the protocols is expected to usher in a new era of open relations between Turkey and Armenia. After the signing, the documents will be dispatched to the respective parliaments for ratification. The ceremony in Switzerland will be followed by the World Cup qualifying match that will take place in Bursa on Oct. 14 between the Turkish and Armenian national teams.

The first protocol, covering the establishment of diplomatic relations, and the second, on the further development of bilateral relations, are accompanied by an annex that sets a clear timetable for the implementation of both.