Aysor, Armenia
Jan 15 2010
Erdogan responses to Putin in interview with Sabah paper
Process of normalization of relations with Armenia has links with
settlement of the Karabakh conflict, said Turkey’s Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his interview with Turkish Sabah paper.
When asked whether Russia’s position to separate these two processes
has any connection with disagreement in Turkey-Russia relations,
Erdogan said: `Whatever we do to separate these two processes, the
link between them exists. Armenia-Turkey border was closed during
Azerbaijan-Armenia war. Let occupation of Karabakh ends, then
normalization of relations with Armenia will easy go. Let Armenia
surrender 7 occupied regions. Soon after this the positive development
may occur.’
He said Russia is the only OSCE Minsk Group co-chair who can influence
Armenia. `If Russia involves in cooperation, then we’ll see results in
short. And if Russia shows weakness, then process will be
complicated.’
`We have opened Turkey-Armenia flights and bus routes, but border’s
opening is another issue,’ said Turkey’s Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, just some days before, Erdogan’s Russian counterpart
Vladimir Putin said at the joint press conference that it’s a wrong
position to link Armenia-Turkey relations and the Karabakh problem.
Putin said: `I consider it wrong to link these processes. Of these,
each is a complicated matter to be solved, so if we heap them, then
the solution will definitely moved away.
Erdogan didn’t respond to Putin ton that day.
Besides, Russia’s position also was voiced by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
`Russia doesn’t see any link between Armenian-Turkish reconciliation
and settlement of the Karabakh conflict, so it’s wrong to try falsely
to link them,’ said Lavrov. Russia comes from the incontestable fact
that views of people of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic cannot be
ignored, according to minister. Besides, when asked whether Russia can
consider its energy interests in the context of Armenian-Turkish
relations above right to self-determination of people of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Russian minister said no, can’t.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress