TURKISH FM SENDS MESSAGE TO ARMENIA

AzerNews Weekly
Dec 24 2009
Azerbaijan

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has sent a message to Armenia
which insists that Ankara approve in parliament the October agreement
on mending strained bilateral relations by next March, Turkish Hurriyet
newspaper reported.

Davutoglu said it was wrong to impose a deadline, noting that result,
not deadlines, is important in such processes. "There should be no
pressure over timing. We will not leave the fate of our countries
and the region at the mercy of lobbies."

The Turkish minister said "everyone should contemplate positive
scenarios" in dealing with the normalization of bilateral ties.

"Negative scenarios would not benefit anyone. Returning to the
situation we had prior to the signing of the protocols is not in line
with anyone’s interests."

According to Davutoglu, the positive scenario envisions enforcing
the Ankara-Yerevan protocols and normalizing relations in the entire
Caucasus region, referring to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan
Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict, which has remained unresolved for
17 years.

"Turkey-Armenia normalization cannot be healthy without a solution of
the Upper Garabagh problem," Davutoglu said, affirming Ankara’s stance.

He recalled that the Turkish-Armenian border has been shut for two
decades.

"We are trying to solve this issue. If goodwill is put forth on
Garabagh settlement, a certain stage [progress] can be reached in
this process as well."

Davutoglu said significant progress has been achieved as part of the
Minsk process, implying the peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk
Group. He added that the December 1 meeting between the Azerbaijani
and Armenian foreign ministers held in Athens was beneficial.