President Serzh Sarkisian on Wednesday congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan on winning Turkey’s presidential election and urged him to normalize Turkish-Armenian relations “without preconditions.”
“I congratulate you on being elected as President of the Republic of Turkey. I wish you good health, as well as prosperity and progress to the people of Turkey,” read a congratulatory letter publicized by Sarkisian’s office.
“Assuming the office of President of the Republic of Turkey, you undoubtedly have an opportunity to make a personal effort to implement our bilateral agreements without preconditions,” added Sarkisian.
The Armenian leader referred to the 2009 Turkish-Armenian protocols that envisaged the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey and the opening of their border.
Shortly after their signing in Zurich the Turkish government made clear that the protocols will not be ratified before a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that would satisfy Azerbaijan. Prime Minister Erdogan has repeatedly reaffirmed this precondition.
Sarkisian congratulated Erdogan three days after angrily condemning the Turkish president-elect for making statements widely seen as a racist slur against Armenians. In a televised interview aired on Monday, he also said Ankara will not pursue a “balanced” policy in the region anytime soon.