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Journal of Turkish Weekly
Nov 22 2014
Armenia-Azerbaijan dispute threat to regional security
22 November 2014
(AA) The Nagorno Karabakh issue constitutes a threat to regional
security, Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Turkey, Faiq Bagirov, said on
Friday.
Nagorno Karabakh is a de facto independent Armenian-majority region
inside the Republic of Azerbaijan, and has attempted several times in
the past -- through both violent and democratic means -- to unify with
the Republic of Armenia.
Speaking at a conference in Ankara, Bagirov said, "Security problems
have begun to become the destiny of the Caucasus."
Stating the problems affect not only the region but also international
actors, he added: "The South Caucasus has been unable to reach
stability for the past 25 years."
In February 1988, the regional parliament in Nagorno Karabakh voted to
declare its independence from Azerbaijan.
Armenia's parliament in turn voted to recognize the region's
independence, a move that forced the evacuation of over 200,000 ethnic
Azerbaijanis from Armenia.
Thousands of Azerbaijani civilians lost their lives in the resulting conflict.
Bagirov called on Armenia to end the occupation and make regional
cooperation its government policy.
If they refused, he warned that "good neighborly relations will only
remain as wishful thinking."
Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a ceasefire in 1994, but never agreed a
peace settlement.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/176009/armenia-azerbaijan-dispute-threat-to-regional-security.html
Nov 22 2014
Armenia-Azerbaijan dispute threat to regional security
22 November 2014
(AA) The Nagorno Karabakh issue constitutes a threat to regional
security, Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Turkey, Faiq Bagirov, said on
Friday.
Nagorno Karabakh is a de facto independent Armenian-majority region
inside the Republic of Azerbaijan, and has attempted several times in
the past -- through both violent and democratic means -- to unify with
the Republic of Armenia.
Speaking at a conference in Ankara, Bagirov said, "Security problems
have begun to become the destiny of the Caucasus."
Stating the problems affect not only the region but also international
actors, he added: "The South Caucasus has been unable to reach
stability for the past 25 years."
In February 1988, the regional parliament in Nagorno Karabakh voted to
declare its independence from Azerbaijan.
Armenia's parliament in turn voted to recognize the region's
independence, a move that forced the evacuation of over 200,000 ethnic
Azerbaijanis from Armenia.
Thousands of Azerbaijani civilians lost their lives in the resulting conflict.
Bagirov called on Armenia to end the occupation and make regional
cooperation its government policy.
If they refused, he warned that "good neighborly relations will only
remain as wishful thinking."
Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a ceasefire in 1994, but never agreed a
peace settlement.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/176009/armenia-azerbaijan-dispute-threat-to-regional-security.html