DAVUTOGLU OFFERS TURKEY TO MEDIATE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT PROCESS

Tert.am
11:20 â~@¢ 19.03.10

Turkey can co-habit with Armenia, said Turkish Minister of Foreign
Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu to reporters, while on a plane to Bulgaria,
reports Turkish news source Sabah.

"Our conflict with the Serbs has a thousand-year history, while our
issues with the Armenians, one century. And if we were able to change
the nature of Turkish-Serbian relationships in one year, to co-habit
with them, why won’t we do the same in Armenia’s case?" said Davutoglu.

"Over a period of six months, I met with my Serbian counterpart
11 times. The Armenians don’t discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh issue
with us, saying ‘You side with Azerbaijan.’ However, we say, ‘If
by talking to Serbia we settled the issue, we will resolve it with
you, as well.’ Thanks to us, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
were able to live side-by-side, as a result of which Bosnia and
Herzegovina sent an ambassador to Bosnia. The pain and suffering were
greater in the conflict between the Serbs and Bosnians than in the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

"After speaking with the president of Bosnia and Herzegovina at
the airport for two hours in the middle of the night, the issue
with the Serbs was resolved. Now it’s the Serbs turn to apologize
for Srebrenica. And if we can talk with the Serbs, with whom we’ve
struggled against for a thousand years, why won’t we talk with the
Armenians? It’s been six months since we’ve been holding trilateral
meetings with Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Why wouldn’t we do
the same for Armenia and Azerbaijan?" said Davutoglu.

According to Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review, in recent months,
Davutoglu has engaged in intense diplomatic talks between Serbia,
Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries in the region in an effort
to end potential strife between the neighboring nations.

Earlier, Turkey-mediated talks had prompted Serbia and Bosnia and
Herzegovina to appoint ambassadors to each others’ capitals.