TURKEY TO BRING AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA TOGETHER IN EARLY 2009

Hurriyet
Dec 26 2008
Turkey

Turkish, Azerbaijani, and Armenian foreign ministers will meet
to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in early 2009, while the
agreement on the proposed Caucasus platform could also be signed in
the coming year, news reports said.

Hulusi Kilic, Turkey’ Ambassador to Azerbaijan, told at a press
conference in Baku late on Thursday that the diplomats from countries
in the region have been holding talks to draw the draft agreement on
the Caucasus Security and Cooperation Platform.

The agreement could be signed in 2009, he added, Azerbaijani news
agency Day.Az reported on Friday.

Turkey proposed to format a platform in the Caucasus to boost dialogue
and to seek peaceful solutions to the conflicts in the region after a
war between Russia and Georgia erupted in August. Turkey has increased
its diplomatic campaign towards countries in the region. Russia,
Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, as well as Azerbaijan, are expected to join
the platform.

Turkey wants the Nagorno-Karabakh issue to be solved through peaceful
means under international law, Kilic added. "Turkey has been waiting
for the problem to be solved for 15 years. It does not have the
patience to wait another 15 years," he was quoted as saying by
state-run Anatolian Agency.

Nagorno-Karabakh, a frozen conflict legacy of the Soviet Union, has
been standing at the center of Azerbaijan-Armenia and Turkey-Armenia
relations. Turkey has closed its borders with Armenia due to Yerevan’s
aggression against Azerbaijan.

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.

Both countries continue with fruitless peace negotiations. The OSCE
Minsk Group, co-chaired by the United States, Russia, and France,
is engaged in peace settling of the conflict.

Kilic said Turkey advocated Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and
rightful stance of Azerbaijan on the matter, noting, "The Upper
Karabakh problem should be solved soon and the occupation should end."

The issue would dominate the agenda of the meeting between Turkish,
Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers planned to be held in
January or February, Azerbaijani TrendNews reported Kilic as saying.

Ali Babacan of Turkey, Elmar Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan and Edward
Nalbandian of Armenia will also discuss the Caucasus Platform which
was initiated by Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, he said.