Azerbaijan calls for strong Turkish support to settle Karabakh conflict
http://www.news.az/articles/turkey/77414
Mon 04 March 2013 06:05 GMT | 6:05 Local Time
'If the status quo continues, war with Armenia is inevitable'.
Azerbaijan is hoping for more than just support from Turkey to change
what is being called an `unacceptable status quo' in order to make
significant progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh talks, as the conflict
has already dragged on for many years.
`Armenia might display a constructive position only after it
recognizes that Turkey will never leave Azerbaijan alone in the
region. Only after recognizing Turkish-Azerbaijan solidarity in the
region, Armenia might show a real understanding of a peaceful
settlement [of the conflict] at the negotiating table,'Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Elman Abdullayev said in an exclusive
interview with Sunday's Zaman.
`If the status quo continues, war with Armenia is inevitable,' said
Ali Hasanov, an Azerbaijani politician who is also the national
adviser to the president of Azerbaijan in Ankara. He says Azerbaijan
will never give up its territories, referring to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Speaking to the state-owned Anatolia news agency, Hasanov noted that
if Armenia insists on continuing the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh
and does not make any clear effort to resolve the issue, Azerbaijan
will have to think about other options. `We are in the process of
strengthening our army and economy.'
Commenting on the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement process that started
with the soccer diplomacy back in 2009 and ended in stalemate after
Azerbaijan resisted the efforts at normalization between Ankara and
Yerevan, Abdullayev said that any gesture from Turkey to Armenia
adversely affects the peace talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
pointing out that Turkey is doing its utmost to positively change the
status quo, but unfortunately, the way it is doing it hampers the
whole negotiation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
`Leading the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks in parallel with the
Turkish-Armenian rapprochement process is impossible, as Armenia
insists on the talks [with Turkey] without any conditions. What are
the conditions? Of course, Nagorno-Karabakh,' Abdullayev said,
underlining that reset of diplomatic ties between Ankara and Yerevan
will be a blow to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Today's Zaman
http://www.news.az/articles/turkey/77414
Mon 04 March 2013 06:05 GMT | 6:05 Local Time
'If the status quo continues, war with Armenia is inevitable'.
Azerbaijan is hoping for more than just support from Turkey to change
what is being called an `unacceptable status quo' in order to make
significant progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh talks, as the conflict
has already dragged on for many years.
`Armenia might display a constructive position only after it
recognizes that Turkey will never leave Azerbaijan alone in the
region. Only after recognizing Turkish-Azerbaijan solidarity in the
region, Armenia might show a real understanding of a peaceful
settlement [of the conflict] at the negotiating table,'Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Elman Abdullayev said in an exclusive
interview with Sunday's Zaman.
`If the status quo continues, war with Armenia is inevitable,' said
Ali Hasanov, an Azerbaijani politician who is also the national
adviser to the president of Azerbaijan in Ankara. He says Azerbaijan
will never give up its territories, referring to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Speaking to the state-owned Anatolia news agency, Hasanov noted that
if Armenia insists on continuing the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh
and does not make any clear effort to resolve the issue, Azerbaijan
will have to think about other options. `We are in the process of
strengthening our army and economy.'
Commenting on the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement process that started
with the soccer diplomacy back in 2009 and ended in stalemate after
Azerbaijan resisted the efforts at normalization between Ankara and
Yerevan, Abdullayev said that any gesture from Turkey to Armenia
adversely affects the peace talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
pointing out that Turkey is doing its utmost to positively change the
status quo, but unfortunately, the way it is doing it hampers the
whole negotiation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
`Leading the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks in parallel with the
Turkish-Armenian rapprochement process is impossible, as Armenia
insists on the talks [with Turkey] without any conditions. What are
the conditions? Of course, Nagorno-Karabakh,' Abdullayev said,
underlining that reset of diplomatic ties between Ankara and Yerevan
will be a blow to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Today's Zaman