TURKISH-ARMENIAN RAPPROCHEMENT NOT TO BRING PREFERENCES FOR ARMENIA IN NEGOTIATIONS ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH: INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP
Trend
Oct 23 2009
Azerbaijan
Restoration of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey can not
cause Yerevan’s unconstructive position in the negotiation process
on the Nagorno-Karabakh, International Crisis Group’ Europe Program
Director Sabine Freizer believes.
"The Armenian-Turkey rapprochement will actually encourage the
Armenians to be more flexible in the negotiation with Azerbaijan,"
Freizer said "The talks lack progress because the remaining issues
are extremely difficult."
The last meeting of Heads of States did not give cause for optimism,
because the Armenian side suddenly began to discuss the issues that
were agreed two to three years ago, Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan
Elmar Mammadyarov told Trend News. Mammadyarov believes that such
actions by the Armenian side are connected with the latest events in
the region – the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement.
Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers, Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocol in Zurich on Oct. 10.
Armenian-Turkish ties have been severed since 1993 due to Armenia’s
claims of an alleged genocide, and the country’s occupation of 20
percent of Azerbaijani lands.
The protocols are under discussion in the Turkish parliament and soon
they will be submitted to the Armenian parliament for ratification.
In addition to the so-called "Armenian genocide" in 1915, the Armenian
territorial claim on Turkish lands of Eastern Anatolia is one of the
main points of the Armenia – Turkey conflict.
However, despite the long-term controversy, in April the two countries
agreed on a "road map" normalization of the relations between them.
"Maybe the Armenian side considers that if the process developed in
this regard, it is possible to freeze other issues," said the Foreign
Minister of Azerbaijan in an interview with Trend News.
Presidents of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Armenia Serzh Sargsyan
last met on Oct. 9 in Kishinev. This is was the seventh meeting of
Heads of States on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, which began in 1988 because of Armenia’s territorial claims
against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent
of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
7 surrounding districts.
According to Freizer, the Armenians main argument for retaining
control over the occupied territories is because they say "We need
to have these territories as a security guarantee. We feel isolated
and we need these territories to protect ourselves".
"Once the border with Turkey is open, that excuse will no longer be
valid. They will have access to the rest of the world. And thus they
will no longer be able to say that they need all these territories
as security guarantees," she added.
The reason why Azerbaijan and Armenia have been unable to agree to
a kind of compromise is that they are still dealing with issues that
extremely difficult to resolve, Freized added.
One of the main questions is the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.
But the two sides could still agree on a basic principles document.
The two sides agreed that there should be a withdrawal of Armenian
forces from the occupied territories and that eventually this
withdrawal should be from seven occupied territories. The sides also
agreed that there should be non-use of force by any sides, she said.
"The two sides seem to have agreed on above mentioned. I would hope
that the sides could sign a document that at least puts into writing
these significant issues the parties agreed upon," Freizer said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress