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ARMENIA MUST RESOLVE ISSUES WITH AZERBAIJAN BEFORE TURKEY: ANALYST
Trend
Nov 9 2009
Azerbaijan
If Armenia wants to open its borders with Turkey, first it must resolve
its issues with Azerbaijan, former Turkish National Intelligence
Committee analyst Mahir Kaynak said.
"If Armenia wants its borders to be opened, it must above all else
solve its problems with Azerbaijan," Kaynak told Trend News today.
Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10.
Turkey and Armenia in the talks mediated by Switzerland reached an
agreement to launch "internal political consultations" on Aug. 31
to sign the "Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
and Protocol on the Development of Bilateral Relations," the Turkish
Foreign Ministry reported.
Turkey does not plan to open its borders with Armenia, Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davudoglu said earlier.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey have been broken due
to Armenia's claims of an alleged genocide, and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. The border between them has been broken since 1993.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia,
France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Ankara will never take steps against Azerbaijan's interests, Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview with local
press Oct.10.
The day after signing the protocols Davutoglu called the liberation
of the occupied Azerbaijani territories an important condition for
establishing relations with Armenia in an interview with the TRT1
Turkish television station.
According to Kaynak, the Turkish parliament has not yet discussed
the Ankara-Yerevan protocols after their signing, which is a message
to Armenia.
"Opening the Turkish-Armenian borders is directly linked to the
resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh problem," he said.
According to the official, relations with Azerbaijan are more important
than relations with Armenia.
Trend
Nov 9 2009
Azerbaijan
If Armenia wants to open its borders with Turkey, first it must resolve
its issues with Azerbaijan, former Turkish National Intelligence
Committee analyst Mahir Kaynak said.
"If Armenia wants its borders to be opened, it must above all else
solve its problems with Azerbaijan," Kaynak told Trend News today.
Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10.
Turkey and Armenia in the talks mediated by Switzerland reached an
agreement to launch "internal political consultations" on Aug. 31
to sign the "Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
and Protocol on the Development of Bilateral Relations," the Turkish
Foreign Ministry reported.
Turkey does not plan to open its borders with Armenia, Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davudoglu said earlier.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey have been broken due
to Armenia's claims of an alleged genocide, and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. The border between them has been broken since 1993.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia,
France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Ankara will never take steps against Azerbaijan's interests, Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview with local
press Oct.10.
The day after signing the protocols Davutoglu called the liberation
of the occupied Azerbaijani territories an important condition for
establishing relations with Armenia in an interview with the TRT1
Turkish television station.
According to Kaynak, the Turkish parliament has not yet discussed
the Ankara-Yerevan protocols after their signing, which is a message
to Armenia.
"Opening the Turkish-Armenian borders is directly linked to the
resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh problem," he said.
According to the official, relations with Azerbaijan are more important
than relations with Armenia.