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Anadolu Agency, Turkey
June 26 2009
Turkish foreign minister comments on Middle East, Caucasus
Trieste, 26 June: The Turkish foreign minister said on Friday [26
June] that there was a positive atmosphere in the Middle East.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that there was a
positive psychological atmosphere in the Middle East.
"However, this atmosphere should be turned into actual steps,"
Davutoglu told AA correspondent in Trieste, Italy.
Davutoglu is actually in Trieste for the G-8 foreign ministers'
meeting, and participated in a meeting on Afghanistan.
The Group of Eight (G8, and formerly the G6 or Group of Six) is a
forum, created by France in 1975, for governments of eight nations of
the northern hemisphere: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan,
Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; in addition, the
European Union is represented within the G8, but cannot host or chair.
The Turkish foreign minister referred to his visits to Afghanistan and
Pakistan two weeks ago, and said he had the opportunity to share his
observations and views about those countries with his counterparts
participating in the Trieste meeting.
Davutoglu said he also met Senator George Mitchell, the US special
envoy for the Middle East, on the sidelines of the Trieste meeting.
"The fate of this region is important for us and the region cannot
tolerate new wars or losses," he said.
Davutoglu underlined importance of reducing the tension and making all
parties a part of the process.
The Turkish minister said Senator Mitchell shared with him the issues
he discussed during his visit to Syria and the progress made so far.
Davutoglu said Turkey was attaching great importance to Syria's having
a close relationship with the international community, and welcomed
the decision of the United States to appoint an ambassador to Syria.
"Turkey is supporting every step reducing tension," he said.
Davutoglu said what Turkey wished was to launch a de facto
well-operating process, not only seeing a psychological process in the
region.
"If we achieve this, our region will have peace and order," he said.
Also on Turkish-Armenian relations, Davutoglu said G-8 foreign
ministers issued a declaration in which they also defined efforts to
normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia as positive.
"Support to the normalization process is positive, and at the same
time the declaration refers to contacts of the Minsk Group regarding
the Upper Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia," he said.
Davutoglu also said that carrying out the two processes in parallel
with each other (Turkish-Armenian talks and Azerbaijani-Armenian
talks) would ensure lasting peace in the region.
"Doing everything s/he can and staying away from possible tension is
for everybody's best interests," Davutoglu said.
The Turkish foreign minister also appreciated the sincere efforts of
Azerbaijani and Armenian authorities, and said Turkey was expecting a
concrete progress.
Davutoglu also said that he would pay a formal visit to Moscow, Russia
in the following week and exchange views with his Russian counterpart
Sergey Lavrov about bilateral relations and regional issues.
June 26 2009
Turkish foreign minister comments on Middle East, Caucasus
Trieste, 26 June: The Turkish foreign minister said on Friday [26
June] that there was a positive atmosphere in the Middle East.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that there was a
positive psychological atmosphere in the Middle East.
"However, this atmosphere should be turned into actual steps,"
Davutoglu told AA correspondent in Trieste, Italy.
Davutoglu is actually in Trieste for the G-8 foreign ministers'
meeting, and participated in a meeting on Afghanistan.
The Group of Eight (G8, and formerly the G6 or Group of Six) is a
forum, created by France in 1975, for governments of eight nations of
the northern hemisphere: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan,
Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; in addition, the
European Union is represented within the G8, but cannot host or chair.
The Turkish foreign minister referred to his visits to Afghanistan and
Pakistan two weeks ago, and said he had the opportunity to share his
observations and views about those countries with his counterparts
participating in the Trieste meeting.
Davutoglu said he also met Senator George Mitchell, the US special
envoy for the Middle East, on the sidelines of the Trieste meeting.
"The fate of this region is important for us and the region cannot
tolerate new wars or losses," he said.
Davutoglu underlined importance of reducing the tension and making all
parties a part of the process.
The Turkish minister said Senator Mitchell shared with him the issues
he discussed during his visit to Syria and the progress made so far.
Davutoglu said Turkey was attaching great importance to Syria's having
a close relationship with the international community, and welcomed
the decision of the United States to appoint an ambassador to Syria.
"Turkey is supporting every step reducing tension," he said.
Davutoglu said what Turkey wished was to launch a de facto
well-operating process, not only seeing a psychological process in the
region.
"If we achieve this, our region will have peace and order," he said.
Also on Turkish-Armenian relations, Davutoglu said G-8 foreign
ministers issued a declaration in which they also defined efforts to
normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia as positive.
"Support to the normalization process is positive, and at the same
time the declaration refers to contacts of the Minsk Group regarding
the Upper Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia," he said.
Davutoglu also said that carrying out the two processes in parallel
with each other (Turkish-Armenian talks and Azerbaijani-Armenian
talks) would ensure lasting peace in the region.
"Doing everything s/he can and staying away from possible tension is
for everybody's best interests," Davutoglu said.
The Turkish foreign minister also appreciated the sincere efforts of
Azerbaijani and Armenian authorities, and said Turkey was expecting a
concrete progress.
Davutoglu also said that he would pay a formal visit to Moscow, Russia
in the following week and exchange views with his Russian counterpart
Sergey Lavrov about bilateral relations and regional issues.