LONDON, Feb 10 (Reuters) — Accords aimed at burying a century of hostility between Turkey and Armenia must be voted on by the Turkish parliament before Armenia’s parliament will approve them, Armenia’s president said on Wednesday.
Serge Sargisian also warned that Armenia could break off the effort to normalize relations if Turkey dragged its feet.
Armenia and Turkey agreed last year to establish diplomatic ties and open their common border within two months of parliamentary approval.
The accords were signed with the endorsement of the United States, European Union and Russia, but the Armenian and Turkish governments have since accused each other of trying to re-write the texts, throwing the process into question.
Sargisian said he would tell his staff on Wednesday to submit the accords to the Armenian parliament, but that Turkey’s parliament would have to be first to ratify them.
“The parliament of Armenia will vote on the protocols if the Turkish parliament goes ahead with that,” he said, answering questions at the Chatham House thinktank in London.
“Otherwise we can find ourselves in a situation where the Armenian parliament ratifies and the Turkish parliament fails to,” he said, speaking through an interpreter.
