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Journal of Turkish Weekly
Dec 7 2013
Ankara to test waters for talks in Yerevan, Azerbaijan ?
7 December 2013
A regional meeting is likely to be the venue for discussions between
Turkish and Armenian politicians to break the current stalemate in the
normalization process between the two estranged neighbors, as Turkey
has recently voiced its intention to normalize ties with Armenia.
Ankara is expected to test the waters at first hand with Armenian
officials in Yerevan about possible progress in talks for a settlement
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which
could pave the way for rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia.
Although a bilateral meeting has not been scheduled yet, a meeting
between Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu and his Armenian counterpart,
Edward Nalbandian, is `highly possible' on the sidelines of a regional
meeting, a Turkish Foreign Ministry official told the Hürriyet Daily
News.
DavutoÄ?lu will pay a visit to Yerevan on Dec. 12, to attend the
ministerial meeting of the Organization for the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC). Speaking to reporters late on Dec. 5, he said the
invitation had come from the Armenian side, and he accepted after
consultations with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an.
`Turkey is one of the founding members of the organization. Its
headquarters are located in Istanbul, where Armenia, which is a member
of the organization, also has a representative. I received the
invitation and decided to accept it after consultations,' DavutoÄ?lu
said.
However, the visit has more meaning than a regular BSEC meeting, as
Turkey wants to ease the current stalemate with Armenia.
Turkey is preparing for the 100th anniversary of the 1915 events,
which will be commemorated both in Armenia and by the Armenian
Diaspora abroad in 2015 with grand ceremonies. The U.S.-based Armenian
diaspora, in particular, seeks official recognition of the killings as
genocide by the White House.
As the anniversary approaches, Ankara urges members of the Minsk
group, the United States, Russia and Azerbaijan, to move forward for a
settlement on the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.
A 2009 protocol aiming to boost ties between Ankara and Yerevan,
including the opening of the border between the two countries, was
halted upon a move by Azerbaijan, which has repeatedly said such a
move must not happen until there is an agreement on the status of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Armenian Constitutional Court, meanwhile, has declared that the
protocol was not compatible with the country's Constitution. Turkey
has recently been working on some `creative ideas' to develop
relations with Armenia, which Ankara considers as part of efforts to
maintain peace and stability in the region. One of those `creative
ideas' is to reopen the long-closed railway link between Turkey and
Armenia, contingent upon parallel progress in Nagorno-Karabakh talks.
Foreign Minister DavutoÄ?lu first voiced Turkey's willingness to
develop ties with Armenia during a recent visit to Switzerland, which
hosted the signing ceremony of the protocol in 2009.
`We are now looking to develop it and advance with creative ideas and
new ways of thinking. We will increase our works in the coming period.
When relations between Turkey and Armenia are normalized, most of the
issues between Azerbaijan and Armenia will also be within the
framework of a solution,' he said during his visit to Bern in October,
when he also sought the support of Switzerland for steps in developing
ties with Armenia.
The issue was on the agenda of Turkish leaders during recent visits to
Washington and Moscow. The presidential-level talks between Armenia
and Azerbaijan resumed in late October with a meeting under the
auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs after a long interval.
Ankara intends to assess Armenia's approach to the recent round of
talks during the visit of Minister DavutoÄ?lu to Yerevan.
Dec 7 2013
Ankara to test waters for talks in Yerevan, Azerbaijan ?
7 December 2013
A regional meeting is likely to be the venue for discussions between
Turkish and Armenian politicians to break the current stalemate in the
normalization process between the two estranged neighbors, as Turkey
has recently voiced its intention to normalize ties with Armenia.
Ankara is expected to test the waters at first hand with Armenian
officials in Yerevan about possible progress in talks for a settlement
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which
could pave the way for rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia.
Although a bilateral meeting has not been scheduled yet, a meeting
between Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu and his Armenian counterpart,
Edward Nalbandian, is `highly possible' on the sidelines of a regional
meeting, a Turkish Foreign Ministry official told the Hürriyet Daily
News.
DavutoÄ?lu will pay a visit to Yerevan on Dec. 12, to attend the
ministerial meeting of the Organization for the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC). Speaking to reporters late on Dec. 5, he said the
invitation had come from the Armenian side, and he accepted after
consultations with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an.
`Turkey is one of the founding members of the organization. Its
headquarters are located in Istanbul, where Armenia, which is a member
of the organization, also has a representative. I received the
invitation and decided to accept it after consultations,' DavutoÄ?lu
said.
However, the visit has more meaning than a regular BSEC meeting, as
Turkey wants to ease the current stalemate with Armenia.
Turkey is preparing for the 100th anniversary of the 1915 events,
which will be commemorated both in Armenia and by the Armenian
Diaspora abroad in 2015 with grand ceremonies. The U.S.-based Armenian
diaspora, in particular, seeks official recognition of the killings as
genocide by the White House.
As the anniversary approaches, Ankara urges members of the Minsk
group, the United States, Russia and Azerbaijan, to move forward for a
settlement on the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.
A 2009 protocol aiming to boost ties between Ankara and Yerevan,
including the opening of the border between the two countries, was
halted upon a move by Azerbaijan, which has repeatedly said such a
move must not happen until there is an agreement on the status of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Armenian Constitutional Court, meanwhile, has declared that the
protocol was not compatible with the country's Constitution. Turkey
has recently been working on some `creative ideas' to develop
relations with Armenia, which Ankara considers as part of efforts to
maintain peace and stability in the region. One of those `creative
ideas' is to reopen the long-closed railway link between Turkey and
Armenia, contingent upon parallel progress in Nagorno-Karabakh talks.
Foreign Minister DavutoÄ?lu first voiced Turkey's willingness to
develop ties with Armenia during a recent visit to Switzerland, which
hosted the signing ceremony of the protocol in 2009.
`We are now looking to develop it and advance with creative ideas and
new ways of thinking. We will increase our works in the coming period.
When relations between Turkey and Armenia are normalized, most of the
issues between Azerbaijan and Armenia will also be within the
framework of a solution,' he said during his visit to Bern in October,
when he also sought the support of Switzerland for steps in developing
ties with Armenia.
The issue was on the agenda of Turkish leaders during recent visits to
Washington and Moscow. The presidential-level talks between Armenia
and Azerbaijan resumed in late October with a meeting under the
auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs after a long interval.
Ankara intends to assess Armenia's approach to the recent round of
talks during the visit of Minister DavutoÄ?lu to Yerevan.