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IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROCESS, AZERBAIJAN WAS ABLE TO AFFECT TURKISH AUTHORITIES - INTERNATIONAL EXPERT
NEWS.am
January 16, 2012
Baku is convinced that Turkey closed its border with Armenia because of
the Karabakh conflict, and that it will not reopen it unless Armenia
removes its troops from Karabakh, Sabine Freizer, the European Program
Director at the International Crisis Group, told bs-kavkaz.org,
with respect to the current deadlock in the Armenian-Turkish relations.
"The [Armenian-Turkish] protocols truly have many opponents. But there
is yet another most important obstacle: Azerbaijan. Baku is convinced
that Turkey closed its border with Armenia because of the Karabakh
conflict, and that it will not reopen it unless Armenia removes its
troops from Karabakh. By starting talks with Armenia, Turkey was
thinking that it could conduct them without factoring in Baku's view.
But the Turks were mistaken in their calculations. Azerbaijan was
able to affect the Turkish authorities, society, and the nationalist
forces, and as a result Ankara is compelled to take Baku's opinion
into account in relations with Armenia," Freizer noted.
In her view, there is no link between the Armenian-Turkish relations
and the Karabakh issue. And even though they are interrelated to some
extent, it should not be expected that the Armenian-Turkish process
would resolve the Karabakh issue.
"I believe the best alternative for resolving the Karabakh conflict is
the OSCE Minsk Group's proposal, that is, the providing of an interim
status and a security guarantee to Karabakh. There is a functioning
government, [and] a developing economy in Nagorno-Karabakh. That is
why an interim status will enable it to have contact with the world
and to attract investments," Sabine Freizer maintained.
From: A. Papazian
NEWS.am
January 16, 2012
Baku is convinced that Turkey closed its border with Armenia because of
the Karabakh conflict, and that it will not reopen it unless Armenia
removes its troops from Karabakh, Sabine Freizer, the European Program
Director at the International Crisis Group, told bs-kavkaz.org,
with respect to the current deadlock in the Armenian-Turkish relations.
"The [Armenian-Turkish] protocols truly have many opponents. But there
is yet another most important obstacle: Azerbaijan. Baku is convinced
that Turkey closed its border with Armenia because of the Karabakh
conflict, and that it will not reopen it unless Armenia removes its
troops from Karabakh. By starting talks with Armenia, Turkey was
thinking that it could conduct them without factoring in Baku's view.
But the Turks were mistaken in their calculations. Azerbaijan was
able to affect the Turkish authorities, society, and the nationalist
forces, and as a result Ankara is compelled to take Baku's opinion
into account in relations with Armenia," Freizer noted.
In her view, there is no link between the Armenian-Turkish relations
and the Karabakh issue. And even though they are interrelated to some
extent, it should not be expected that the Armenian-Turkish process
would resolve the Karabakh issue.
"I believe the best alternative for resolving the Karabakh conflict is
the OSCE Minsk Group's proposal, that is, the providing of an interim
status and a security guarantee to Karabakh. There is a functioning
government, [and] a developing economy in Nagorno-Karabakh. That is
why an interim status will enable it to have contact with the world
and to attract investments," Sabine Freizer maintained.
From: A. Papazian