TURKEY ‘INVOLVED’ IN EFFORTS TO RESOLVE KARABAKH CONFLICT, SAYS GUL
4/14/2009_1
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
ISTANBUL (Combined)–Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Tuesday his
country is involved in efforts to solve the conflict between Azerbaijan
and Armenia, in addition to discussions over the normalization process
with Yerevan.
Turkey aims to ensure peace, stability and normalization in the
Caucasus by solving the region’s frozen conflicts, including the
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, Gul told reporters before departing for
Bahrain.
"Within this framework, as discussions on issues with Yerevan continue,
we are also involved in efforts to solve the problems between
Azerbaijan and Armenia," he said, adding that diplomacy did allow
him to speak publicly about the steps being taken regarding the issue.
The Turkish government appeared ready to drop that linkage when
it embarked on an unprecedented dialogue with Yerevan last year to
establish diplomatic relations and reopen its border with Armenia,
which it closed in 1993 out of solidarity with Azerbaijan.
But now, Turkey is saying it will be difficult to overcome its problems
with Armenia unless the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is resolved.
Gul, and his Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have been repeatedly
echoing that concern, warning that the relations with Armenia will
go nowhere while the Karabakh conflict remains unresolved.
"The Azerbaijan-Armenian dispute should be resolved first. Then,
problems between Turkey and Armenia can be solved, too," Erdogan told a
news conference on April 8. "We hope the U.N. Security Council takes
a decision naming Armenia as occupier in Nagorno-Karabakh and calling
for a withdrawal from the region."
The apparent shift follows threats by Baku to cut off gas supplies to
Turkey, which it says is jeopardizing Azerbaijani national interests
with its negotiations to lift the embargo on Armenia before a Karabakh
settlement.
The official change in rhetoric also comes amid signals by US President
Barack Obama that his views on the Armenian Genocide have not changed,
despite repeated warnings by Ankara that a US recognition of the
Genocide will torpedo reconciliation attempts between Armenia and
Turkey.
Speaking in the Turkish National Assembly on April 6, the US President
stood by his earlier statements recognizing the Armenian Genocide and
said they should not hamper the normalization of Turkish-Armenian
relations, which he stressed, should be based on a "process that
works through the past in a way that is honest, open and constructive."
Armenia meanwhile remains committed to an unconditional rapprochement
with its neighbor. Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian Monday
reiterated that the Karabakh conflict has not been on the agenda
of the Turkish-Armenian talks and said he still hopes that the
Turkish-Armenian border will be reopened by the time he attends a
football match in Turkey between the two countries in October.
But the almost year-long negotiations between Armenia and Turkey
now may end in failure because of the renewed Turkish preconditions,
Sarkisian said speaking at a news conference on the first anniversary
of his inauguration. "My optimism may not prove right," the Armenian
leader cautioned, adding that the Turks could "walk away from our
agreements."
"In my opinion, the ball is now in Turkey’s court," said
Sarkisian. "And speaking of football diplomacy, we have to say that
the ball cannot remain in one court indefinitely. Every football game
has a time limit."