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TURKEY MAY CONTRIBUTE TO SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT, TURKISH EXPERT SAYS
news.am
Dec 6 2010
Armenia
Turkey could exert its influence to settle Nagorno-Karabakh, Hasan
Koni, an expert on Turkish foreign policy from Galatasaray University,
said, Today's Zaman reports.
Turkish foreign policy is now designed in a way that is set to
compromise on a wide range of issues to achieve a breakthrough,
which could be true for the Cyprus problem, the Kurdish issue and
Nagorno-Karabakh.
He argued that the OSCE Minsk Group had been established to keep the
leaders of the two sides talking, using delaying tactics [to prevent
any outbreak of war]. "I have 'wrestled with France' as I was an
adviser to a [foreign minister] in the mid-1990s when the EU member
state worked assiduously to stop the peace process between Azerbaijan
and Armenia, through the use of the alleged Armenian genocide issue,"
he said. The primary goal of France, Koni said, is to block Turkey's
route to Central Asian energy resources and prevent better ties with
Turkic countries.
Koni alleged that Russia has many military bases in Nagorno-Karabakh
that help it command an extensive area in the Caucasus region. The
country has also been a historical and long-established ally of
Armenia. Koni also said the Armenian lobby in the US makes this
country antagonistic to Turkey and Azerbaijan on the Armenian issue.
"These are the co-chairs of the Minsk Group. A complete 'delaying'
tactic," Koni said.
Drawing a pessimistic and bleak picture, Koni said as a member of
the OSCE Minsk Group there is less that Turkey can do because Turkey
is now in a position that allows it to step back with regard to many
issues that it is involved in to reach a deal rather than moving on
the offensive.
Talks over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh are very analogous to the
Middle East peace process between Israel and Palestine in terms of
the methods used to keep the sides talking. Russia is continually
rewarding Armenia to make it stay at the negotiating table and push
the Azerbaijani side to keep talking as a way to prevent Azerbaijan
from resuming the war against Armenia.
Azerbaijan, as a result, is trying to persuade the international
community that the conflict poses an imminent danger to security in
the region, including vulnerable energy routes, Koni said.
From: A. Papazian
news.am
Dec 6 2010
Armenia
Turkey could exert its influence to settle Nagorno-Karabakh, Hasan
Koni, an expert on Turkish foreign policy from Galatasaray University,
said, Today's Zaman reports.
Turkish foreign policy is now designed in a way that is set to
compromise on a wide range of issues to achieve a breakthrough,
which could be true for the Cyprus problem, the Kurdish issue and
Nagorno-Karabakh.
He argued that the OSCE Minsk Group had been established to keep the
leaders of the two sides talking, using delaying tactics [to prevent
any outbreak of war]. "I have 'wrestled with France' as I was an
adviser to a [foreign minister] in the mid-1990s when the EU member
state worked assiduously to stop the peace process between Azerbaijan
and Armenia, through the use of the alleged Armenian genocide issue,"
he said. The primary goal of France, Koni said, is to block Turkey's
route to Central Asian energy resources and prevent better ties with
Turkic countries.
Koni alleged that Russia has many military bases in Nagorno-Karabakh
that help it command an extensive area in the Caucasus region. The
country has also been a historical and long-established ally of
Armenia. Koni also said the Armenian lobby in the US makes this
country antagonistic to Turkey and Azerbaijan on the Armenian issue.
"These are the co-chairs of the Minsk Group. A complete 'delaying'
tactic," Koni said.
Drawing a pessimistic and bleak picture, Koni said as a member of
the OSCE Minsk Group there is less that Turkey can do because Turkey
is now in a position that allows it to step back with regard to many
issues that it is involved in to reach a deal rather than moving on
the offensive.
Talks over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh are very analogous to the
Middle East peace process between Israel and Palestine in terms of
the methods used to keep the sides talking. Russia is continually
rewarding Armenia to make it stay at the negotiating table and push
the Azerbaijani side to keep talking as a way to prevent Azerbaijan
from resuming the war against Armenia.
Azerbaijan, as a result, is trying to persuade the international
community that the conflict poses an imminent danger to security in
the region, including vulnerable energy routes, Koni said.
From: A. Papazian