MATTHEW BRYZA: STATEMENT OF TURKISH PRIME MINISTER NOT AFFECT ARMENIAN-TURKISH RECONCILIATION

Noyan Tapan
May 18, 2009

Ankara, May 18, Noyan Tapan. Public statements of Recep Tayyip Erdogan
do not signal that accord reached between Armenia and Turkey has
become abeyant, told in an interview to a Jirhan agency Matthew Bryza,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
and OSCE Minsk group co-chair. "Several weeks ago Erdogan noted in
another his statement that settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict
and Armenian-Turkish relations are separate processes, but they should
go ahead parallel to each other. I would like to re-affirm the point
of view of my government. These two processes are parallel to each
other, but different. At the moment these processes are going forward,
however, perhaps, at different speeds," said Mr.Bryza. According to
Matthew Bryza, American authorities believe that Armenian-Turkish
reconciliation will change the general atmosphere in the region and
will facilitate the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh problem. "On April
22 Armenia and Turkey reached an accord related to normalization of
relations. Opening of borders is a part of that process, however in
a forthcoming phase. According to the road map there is nothing to
be in a hurry. I don’t think, that public statements of Recep Tayyip
Erdogan signal that agreements reached between Armenia and Turkey
have become abeyant," Mr. Bryza said. As it was reported in media,
Turkey’s prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, declared that "Turkey
will open the border from its side only if Armenian side will stop
occupation of Azerbaijani territories."