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TURKEY ASKS FOR SWISS MEDIATION IN KARABAKH CONFLICT
World Bulletin, Turkey
Nov 13 2013
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told Swiss officials that Turkey
is ready to normalize its relations with Armenia, but he made it
clear that Yerevan should first leave the Azerbaijani territories it
has occupied
World Bulletin/News Desk
Turkey has requested support from Switzerland to help overcome
conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan to open the way for Ankara
to repair ties with Yerevan, which have been cool over the Armenian
occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh.
During a visit to Switzerland in mid-October, Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu told Swiss officials that Turkey is ready to normalize its
relations with Armenia, but he made it clear that Yerevan should
first leave the Azerbaijani territories it has occupied, Turkish
sources told Today's Zaman. The foreign minister said once Switzerland
convinces Armenia to leave the occupied territories, Ankara will open
its borders with Armenia. The Swiss officials responded positively
to Davutoglu's proposal.
A bloody conflict erupted between ethnic Azeris and Armenians in 1991
over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous, predominantly Armenian-populated
enclave within Azerbaijani borders. Armenian-backed armed forces
seized 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories, killing 30,000 people.
In a display of solidarity with Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue, Turkey closed its borders with Armenia.
Davutoglu, during his recent visit to Switzerland, had pointed out
that relations with Armenia are important for Turkey and that Turkey
is trying to find new ideas and solutions to develop and cover more
ground when it comes to the ties. He hinted that Turkey will increase
its studies for better relations with its neighbor in the coming days.
According to the Foreign Ministry sources, Turkey is particularly
aiming to normalize relations with Armenia before 2015, the centennial
of the so-called Armenian genocide of 1915. Turkey and Armenia had
already created a roadmap when the two countries signed twin protocols
in 2009 in Switzerland to normalize ties, sources say. However, as
Azerbaijan and Armenia have not been able to achieve any results from
negotiations, which started at the same time as the Armenian-Turkish
normalization, this situation also negatively affects Turkey having
better ties with Armenia.
Besides Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia has also occupied seven other
Azerbaijani districts adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh.
In an effort to solve disagreements before the centennial of the
1915 events, Davutoglu gave this message to Swiss officials during
his visit: "If Armenia starts to leave the occupied territories and
does this by presenting a clear timeline of withdrawal that will also
be accepted by Baku, we are ready to put these protocols into practice.
We are waiting for your help to convince the Armenian administration
of this solution."
The protocols of 2009, which were the first written agreements between
Armenia and Turkey, failed after the two countries did not ratify
the documents.
A senior Turkish official told Today's Zaman that Turkey had closed
its borders with Armenia not because of Nagorno-Karabakh but because
of the adjacent districts that were occupied. Azerbaijan said it
would not oppose Turkey opening its border with Armenia if Yerevan
were to leave five of the seven adjacent regions. Yerevan also said
it could withdraw from the five adjacent regions.
Azerbaijani president to visit Turkey
Meanwhile, the president of Azerbaijani, Ilham Aliyev, was due
to arrive in Turkey on Tuesday upon an invitation from President
Abdullah Gul.
Gul and Aliyev were scheduled to meet at a dinner given in Aliyev's
honor at the cankaya presidential palace. Aliyev is expected to hold
talks with top Turkish officials during the two-day official visit
to Ankara.
On Wednesday, Aliyev will come together with Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan in a tete-a-tete meeting. The two leaders will attend
the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting later in the day.
Aliyev and Erdogan will speak at a joint press briefing after the
meeting.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=122668
World Bulletin, Turkey
Nov 13 2013
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told Swiss officials that Turkey
is ready to normalize its relations with Armenia, but he made it
clear that Yerevan should first leave the Azerbaijani territories it
has occupied
World Bulletin/News Desk
Turkey has requested support from Switzerland to help overcome
conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan to open the way for Ankara
to repair ties with Yerevan, which have been cool over the Armenian
occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh.
During a visit to Switzerland in mid-October, Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu told Swiss officials that Turkey is ready to normalize its
relations with Armenia, but he made it clear that Yerevan should
first leave the Azerbaijani territories it has occupied, Turkish
sources told Today's Zaman. The foreign minister said once Switzerland
convinces Armenia to leave the occupied territories, Ankara will open
its borders with Armenia. The Swiss officials responded positively
to Davutoglu's proposal.
A bloody conflict erupted between ethnic Azeris and Armenians in 1991
over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous, predominantly Armenian-populated
enclave within Azerbaijani borders. Armenian-backed armed forces
seized 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories, killing 30,000 people.
In a display of solidarity with Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue, Turkey closed its borders with Armenia.
Davutoglu, during his recent visit to Switzerland, had pointed out
that relations with Armenia are important for Turkey and that Turkey
is trying to find new ideas and solutions to develop and cover more
ground when it comes to the ties. He hinted that Turkey will increase
its studies for better relations with its neighbor in the coming days.
According to the Foreign Ministry sources, Turkey is particularly
aiming to normalize relations with Armenia before 2015, the centennial
of the so-called Armenian genocide of 1915. Turkey and Armenia had
already created a roadmap when the two countries signed twin protocols
in 2009 in Switzerland to normalize ties, sources say. However, as
Azerbaijan and Armenia have not been able to achieve any results from
negotiations, which started at the same time as the Armenian-Turkish
normalization, this situation also negatively affects Turkey having
better ties with Armenia.
Besides Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia has also occupied seven other
Azerbaijani districts adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh.
In an effort to solve disagreements before the centennial of the
1915 events, Davutoglu gave this message to Swiss officials during
his visit: "If Armenia starts to leave the occupied territories and
does this by presenting a clear timeline of withdrawal that will also
be accepted by Baku, we are ready to put these protocols into practice.
We are waiting for your help to convince the Armenian administration
of this solution."
The protocols of 2009, which were the first written agreements between
Armenia and Turkey, failed after the two countries did not ratify
the documents.
A senior Turkish official told Today's Zaman that Turkey had closed
its borders with Armenia not because of Nagorno-Karabakh but because
of the adjacent districts that were occupied. Azerbaijan said it
would not oppose Turkey opening its border with Armenia if Yerevan
were to leave five of the seven adjacent regions. Yerevan also said
it could withdraw from the five adjacent regions.
Azerbaijani president to visit Turkey
Meanwhile, the president of Azerbaijani, Ilham Aliyev, was due
to arrive in Turkey on Tuesday upon an invitation from President
Abdullah Gul.
Gul and Aliyev were scheduled to meet at a dinner given in Aliyev's
honor at the cankaya presidential palace. Aliyev is expected to hold
talks with top Turkish officials during the two-day official visit
to Ankara.
On Wednesday, Aliyev will come together with Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan in a tete-a-tete meeting. The two leaders will attend
the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting later in the day.
Aliyev and Erdogan will speak at a joint press briefing after the
meeting.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=122668