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TURKEY AGAIN LINKS ARMENIA TIES WITH KARABAKH
Asbarez
www.asbarez.com/index.html?showa rticle=41713_4/21/2009_1
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on Tuesday appeared to reaffirm
Turkey's renewed linkage between improved relations with Armenia
and a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that would satisfy
Azerbaijan.
Visiting Prague for talks with European Union officials, Babacan again
gave no indications that Armenia and Turkey are about to establish
diplomatic relations and reopen their border which Ankara had closed
in 1993 out of solidarity with its Turkic ally.
"As of now, we are at a quite advanced stage in this process," he
told a news conference after the talks, commenting on recent months'
flurry of Turkish-Armenian diplomatic contacts. "Also, in the South
Caucasus there are other problems, like the situation that we now see
in Abkhazia and South Ossetia or the Nagorno-Karabakh issue between
Armenia and Azerbaijan."
"So on the one hand, Turkey is continuing these talks with Armenia. But
on the other hand, Turkey is helping the processes to solve issues
between other countries as well," said Babacan. He added that
Turkish officials are in close contact with the U.S., Russian and
French mediators spearheading the Karabakh peace process and sees a
"real possibility" for the signing of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace
agreement this year.
Up until now Ankara had not brought up the Karabakh conflict during
months of fence-mending talks with Yerevan.
They have also ruled out direct Turkish involvement in the
international efforts to end the Karabakh dispute.
Recent media reports cited Turkish officials as saying that Turkey and
Armenia will likely sign soon an agreement on the gradual normalization
of bilateral relations. However, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan has repeatedly made clear this month that this will not happen
before a Karabakh settlement.
The Turkish newspaper "Today's Zaman" reported on Tuesday that the
dialogue with Armenia will be on the agenda of next week's meeting
of Turkey's powerful National Security Council comprising top state
officials and army generals. It said President Abdullah Gul will
visit Baku shortly after the meeting to "inform the Azerbaijani
administration about the decisions Turkey has made regarding
normalization with Armenia."
Asbarez
www.asbarez.com/index.html?showa rticle=41713_4/21/2009_1
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on Tuesday appeared to reaffirm
Turkey's renewed linkage between improved relations with Armenia
and a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that would satisfy
Azerbaijan.
Visiting Prague for talks with European Union officials, Babacan again
gave no indications that Armenia and Turkey are about to establish
diplomatic relations and reopen their border which Ankara had closed
in 1993 out of solidarity with its Turkic ally.
"As of now, we are at a quite advanced stage in this process," he
told a news conference after the talks, commenting on recent months'
flurry of Turkish-Armenian diplomatic contacts. "Also, in the South
Caucasus there are other problems, like the situation that we now see
in Abkhazia and South Ossetia or the Nagorno-Karabakh issue between
Armenia and Azerbaijan."
"So on the one hand, Turkey is continuing these talks with Armenia. But
on the other hand, Turkey is helping the processes to solve issues
between other countries as well," said Babacan. He added that
Turkish officials are in close contact with the U.S., Russian and
French mediators spearheading the Karabakh peace process and sees a
"real possibility" for the signing of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace
agreement this year.
Up until now Ankara had not brought up the Karabakh conflict during
months of fence-mending talks with Yerevan.
They have also ruled out direct Turkish involvement in the
international efforts to end the Karabakh dispute.
Recent media reports cited Turkish officials as saying that Turkey and
Armenia will likely sign soon an agreement on the gradual normalization
of bilateral relations. However, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan has repeatedly made clear this month that this will not happen
before a Karabakh settlement.
The Turkish newspaper "Today's Zaman" reported on Tuesday that the
dialogue with Armenia will be on the agenda of next week's meeting
of Turkey's powerful National Security Council comprising top state
officials and army generals. It said President Abdullah Gul will
visit Baku shortly after the meeting to "inform the Azerbaijani
administration about the decisions Turkey has made regarding
normalization with Armenia."