Russia has No Intention of Pressing Yerevan for Urgent Karabakh
Reconciliation: Turkish Media

Tert.am
14:40 – 16.01.10

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to the Russian
capital, Moscow, is largely seen as successful in terms of bilateral
energy deals. Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin’s public remarks on
the territorial dispute of Nagorno-Karabakh effectively means a hurdle
for the Turkish-Armenian normalization efforts, analysts say, reports
Turkish news source Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review.

Putin told Erdogan during Wednesday’s talks that Turkey should not
link the Nagorno-Karabakh problem between Armenia and Azerbaijan to
the normalization of its bilateral relations with Armenia.

"Both the Nagorno-Karabakh problem and the Turkish-Armenian problem
are very complicated by nature. I do not think it is right to tie them
into one package," Putin told a news conference after his talks with
the Turkish prime minister.

"It is unwise from both tactical and strategic points of view to
package these problems," he said.

As reported by numerous Turkish media, Turkey first wants to see
progress toward the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict before
opening its border with Armenia.

Like Putin, U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration has also been
urging Turkey to unconditionally put into effect the deal with
Yerevan.

Putin’s remarks make it clear that the Kremlin has no intention to
press Yerevan for an urgent reconciliation on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. And without strong Russian or U.S. pressure, the Armenians
will see little reason to compromise on this matter.

As a result, the Turkish parliament, for its part, will see little
reason to ratify the normalization deal with Yerevan, which
effectively could mean the collapse or suspension of the
reconciliation process.

"In fact, a real reconciliation involving Turkey and Azerbaijan on the
one side and Armenia on the other is one of the last things Putin’s
Russia would want to see, because such a deal may pave the way for the
construction of new pipelines carrying Eurasian oil and natural gas to
the West, bypassing Russian territory," said a former senior Turkish
diplomat.

"Russia is very jealous about its present monopoly in transporting
Eurasia’s energy resources to the West, and doesn’t want to see new
and U.S.-backed rivals in an area which it still continues to view as
its backyard," said the former diplomat. "So, the status quo is in
Russia’s benefit."