IT IS UNQUESTIONABLE FOR TURKEY TO LEAVE AZERBAIJAN OUT OF CYCLE IN SOUTH CAUCASUS IN ANY MANNER: AHMET DAVUTOGHLU

Tert.am
13.04.10

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Dacutoglu has had an interview with
the Azerbaijani news website APA in Washington in the framework of
the World Nuclear Security Summit. Below is the entire interview.

– Mr. Minister, you have attended Turkish Prime Minister Rejep
Erdogan’s Washington visit, where he discussed many issues today,
especially meeting with Armenian president. What was Azerbaijan’s,
especially Nagorno-Karabakh’s place in the talks?

– As usual, this was a main issue. Our prime minister is very
interested in explaining to the Armenian leaders the sensitive
points of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We believe Azerbaijan is an
integral part of a solution to the problem in the Caucasus and says its
exclusion from the process is out of the question. It is unquestionable
for Turkey to leave Azerbaijan out of the cycle in any manner. Before
the U.S visit, I spoke with Azerbaijani diplomats. Our representative
has been both in Baku and Yerevan. We communicate with them very often.

It is also important for Turkey for the Obama administration to focus
its attention on this topic. I want to reiterate that the liberation
of the occupied Azerbaijani territories was one of the goals of
the Turkish-Armenian protocols, in addition to normalization of the
Turkey-Armenia bilateral relations.

We will maintain our peaceful perspective but we will not let
anyone put pressure on Turkey over issues on which we can give no
concessions. We hope our counterparts on this issue had received the
message The international community must understand that, one-sided
peace is impossible in the South Caucasus.

– What is the next step in the normalization of Armenia-Turkey
relations?

– The fact is that we have been always aware that only Turkish-Armenian
reconciliation is not enough to create peace and stability in the
South Caucasus. Only with a comprehensive solution, we can maintain
the atmosphere of reconciliation and remove the remaining barriers
to dialogue, cooperation and peace in the region.

This, of course, will require political will and courage.

We all want to forget previous hostility and instigate in future
positive aspects of common history. This is very important that we
have common aspiration to build bright future in the South Caucasus.

One of them is signing the Turkish-Armenian protocols in Zurich Oct.

10. However, the decision of the Constitution Court of Armenia in
connection with injecting changes to protocols has been a sudden
obstacle on the way of ratification of protocols.

If all sides -we and they – take a responsibility and try to contribute
in the achievement of comprehensive peace in the South Caucasus,
then the Turkish parliament will ratify the protocols in the nearest
future. This will not only facilitate the rapprochement between
the two nations, but also continue the way to the new future and
establishment of peace, prosperity and cooperation. In this respect,
the urgent need is not to put impediments in the way of establishment
of peace and stability under the veil of fictional juridical problems.

However, as our PM said, we’ll explain to the U.S. administration that
we cannot achieve lasting peace in the region without resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue. We strongly believe that, the occupation of
Azerbaijani lands by Armenia complicated cooperation in the Caucasus
on a regional and global scale. The OSCE Minsk Group is the only
international instrument that can induce parties to take steps to
overcome differences and reach a peaceful settlement.

Recognition of the so-called "Armenian genocide will have a very strong
negative impact on the further establishment of peace in the Caucasus.

– By the way, can US President Obama recognize "Armenian genocide"
thus spoiling strategic relations with Turkey this month? If so, how
will it influence the negotiations over Turkish-Armenian establishment?

– I hope that President Barack Obama will not recognize it Apr.24.

Every spring we wait the threat of a crisis in the U.S-Turkey relations
with fear. The United States has now two options: to turn all the
progress achieved in relations between Turkey and Armenia and in
general in the South Caucasus, to no, or to continue promoting the
peace process in the region. We think they will choose the second path.