TURKISH FM BABACAN SAYS ARMENIA SOLUTION WAS NEVER THIS CLOSE

Hurriyet
Dec 22 2008
Turkey

A solution for the disputes between Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan,
which has lasted since World War One, was never this close, Turkey’s
foreign minister told Hurriyet daily on Monday. (UPDATED)

"The Serzh Sargsyan administration believes that solution of problems
with both Turkey and Azerbaijan will bring stability and welfare to
the country," Ali Babacan told in an interview with the daily.

He added that both Sargsyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham
Aliyev show the necessary will to find a solution.

"If they progress, our job will also be easier," Babacan said. "We
are not at the stage that we can put forward the final points, but
we have made much progress," he added.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations and their border
has been closed for more than a decade, as Armenia presses the
international community to admit the so-called "genocide" claims
instead of accepting Turkey’s call to investigate the allegations,
and Armenia’s invasion of 20 percent territory of Azerbaijan.

A warmer period began in relations when Turkish President Abdullah
Gul paid a landmark visit to Yerevan in September. The two countries
have been holding contacts at the minister level since.

Turkish, Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers have also held
trilateral meetings, and agreed to work on a lasting peace agreement
and to continue their meetings.

Aliyev, Sargsyan and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a joint
declaration asserting their desire to find a political settlement to
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in November.

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia began in 1988 on Armenian
territorial claims over Azerbaijan. Since 1992 Armenian Armed Forces
have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and its seven surrounding districts.