ERDOGAN HOPES FOR RUSSIAN SUPPORT IN KARABAKH ISSUE?

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
18.05.2009 13:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
discussed the Nagorno Karabakh problem in weekend talks with his
Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as Ankara seeks to normalize
its ties with Yerevan without alienating Azerbaijan, Today’s Zaman
reported.

"Turkey and Russia have responsibilities in the region. We have to
take steps for the peace and wellbeing of the region," Erdogan said
at a joint news conference with Putin in Sochi on Saturday. "This
includes the Nagorno Karabakh problem, the Middle East dispute,
the Cyprus problem," he added.

Erdogan has also been urging Russia, as well as the United States
and France, which co-chair the Minsk Group, to step up efforts for
settlement.

"Russia and Turkey seek for such problems to be resolved and will
facilitate this in every possible way," his Russian counterpart said.

However, he emphasized that a compromise on Karabakh should be found
by the parties to conflict themselves.

"Other states which help reach a compromise in this aspect can play a
role of mediators and guarantors to implement the signed agreements,"
Putin said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress