TURKEY HOPES FOR BREAKTHROUGH IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

RIA Novosti
14:1201/09/2009

ANKARA, September 1 (RIA Novosti) – Turkey expects a breakthrough to
be reached soon in negotiations to end the long-running territorial
conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the country’s foreign minister
said on Tuesday.

Nagorny Karabakh, a mountainous region in Azerbaijan with a largely
Armenian population, has been a source of conflict between the
former Soviet republics since the late 1980s. The province has its
own government and is de facto independent.

"We want the conflict to be settled as soon as possible, and believe
that its settlement can be ensured if all the parties involved in
the Karabakh settlement show goodwill," Ahmet Davutoglu told NTV,
commenting on Monday’s agreement between Turkey and Armenia to start
"internal political consultations" on re-establishing diplomatic
relations and opening their borders.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of support
for Muslim ally Azerbaijan following a war over Nagorny Karabakh
between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Ankara has also demanded that Armenia drop its campaign to have the
mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 internationally
recognized as genocide.

In its turn, Yerevan has signaled its readiness to establish diplomatic
ties with Turkey without preconditions.

The Turkish minister said the current status quo in the Caucasus does
not serve the interests of Turkey, Azerbaijan or Armenia.

"Turkey has done all it can [to settle the Karabakh problem]. Now it’s
time the other parties accomplished their mission," Davutoglu said.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is expected to visit Turkey on
October 14, where he will attend a World Cup football qualifier
between the two countries.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul watched the first leg of the match in
Yerevan last year. Sarksyan said earlier he would go if the border
has reopened or Turkey has lifted its economic blockade of landlocked
Armenia.