Armenia, Turkey reach agreement

Armenia and Turkey reached a groundbreaking agreement Saturday to open border crossings between the nations after they signed a set of diplomatic protocols, according to the U.S. State Department.

The protocols, which were meant to establish active bilateral relations between the countries, have drawn criticism from activists and politicians opposed to a provision that would establish a commission to examine historical records related to the Armenian Genocide.

That provision enraged some Armenian Americans, including dozens of young Glendale residents who launched a hunger strike last week in protest of calling the validity of the Armenian Genocide into question.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Pasadena), who has pushed for federal genocide recognition, was also critical of the protocols.

But the two states reached an accord Saturday, signaling a warming in relations.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who helped to facilitate the signing, acknowledged the significance of the agreement, but stressed that challenges remain in improving the relationship between Armenia and Turkey.

“We, obviously, are committed to doing everything we can to build on the milestone that was reached today, but it’s challenging,” she said in a statement. “And there is a lot of very difficult, complex issues that have to continually be discussed and worked out.”

The Armenian National Committee of America denounced the agreement, which it saw as a backward step encouraged by the Obama administration and Turkey.

“The success of Turkey in pressuring Armenia into accepting these humiliating, one-sided protocols proves, sadly, that genocide pays,” Ken Hachikian, the group’s chairman, said in a statement.