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ANKARA: 'Karabag Gesture' Clears Way for Erdogan-Kocharian Meeting

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  • ANKARA: 'Karabag Gesture' Clears Way for Erdogan-Kocharian Meeting

    Zaman Online, Turkey
    May 13 2005

    'Karabag Gesture' Clears Way for Erdogan-Kocharian Meeting

    By Suleyman Kurt
    Published: Friday 13, 2005
    zaman.com


    Ankara expects concrete steps to be taken for the solution of
    Azeri-Armenian conflict prior to a possible meeting between Turkish
    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian President Robert
    Kocharian during the European Council summit in Warsaw on May 16-17.

    The plan is for Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian
    President Kocharian to meet in Warsaw before the Erdogan-Kocharian
    meeting, though neither meeting is confirmed yet. Ankara expects
    concrete steps from Yerevan during the Aliyev-Kocharian meeting over
    withdrawing from Upper Karabag (Karabakh). Indications reaching
    Ankara, however, reveal that this is unlikely to be the case.
    Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, who came to Turkey during
    the week, said that Armenia has repeat its offer to disengage from
    seven regions in Upper Karabakh and in return demands Azeri
    withdrawal from Lacin, which is the corridor between Azerbajan and
    Nahcevan, and Kelbece, which surrounds Karabakh, after which it will
    withdraw from the other regions. Azeris are opposed to a step by step
    withdrawal and want Armenia to unconditionally withdraw from all
    these regions at once. The withdrawal process is expected to be
    negotiated during the possible meeting in Warsaw.

    Both parties spoke cautiously about the Erdogan-Kocharian meeting and
    have left the issue open-ended. Neither Ankara nor Yerevan has made
    official demands for a meeting. The sources note that the meeting is
    also dependent on the "last minute" developments. Even if the
    possibility of a conclusive agreement is low for the Aliyev-Kocharian
    meeting it is stressed that the two leaders may agree on some kind of
    road map. It is emphasized that positive developments in
    Azeri-Armenian relations will automatically improve those between
    Turkey and Armenia and the first fruit of this may be
    Erdogan-Kocharian meeting. The Armenian President has previously met
    with former President Suleyman Demirel in Yalta in 1998 and with
    former Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit in Istanbul in 1999.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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