Armenia court endorses Turkey deal

Armenia’s constitutional court on Tuesday acknowledged the legality of a landmark deal that would re-establish ties with Turkey, amid growing objections to the deal in both nations.

“The Constitutional Court of Armenia established that the protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations and on the development of relations between Armenia and Turkey are in conformity with the constitution of Armenia,” the Court President Gagik Harutunian said.

Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols in October to establish diplomatic ties and reopen their shared border, in a deal hailed as a historic step towards ending decades of hostility stemming from World War I-era killings.

But Armenia in recent weeks has expressed growing frustration over the Turkish parliament’s failure to ratify the protocols. The Armenian parliament has also yet to ratify the accord.

Armenian President Serge Sarkisian, who ordered the court’s inquiry, earlier this month threatening to walk away from the deal if Ankara “drags out” the process.

Turkish officials have repeatedly said the agreements will not be ratified without progress in Armenia’s dispute with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

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