TURKISH PM: ARMENIA MUST SHOW SINCERITY IN NORMALIZATION OF TIES
Trend
April 20 2010
Azerbaijan
Armenia must demonstrate its sincerity in the process of normalizing
relations with Turkey, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said at a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party, CNN
Turk reported.
"At a meeting with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, I openly stated
Turkey’s position in the process of normalizing relations with Armenia
and the ratification of the Armenia-Turkish protocols. At the same
time, we want to see a sincere attitude from Armenia," Erdogan said,
referring to the last meeting with Sargsyan in Washington.
Turkey is not a country that will "run away from negotiation table,"
he said.
"We do not avoid negotiations. On the contrary, we can hold them
simultaneously with Arab countries, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Balkan
countries. Everything is done to establish stability and peace in the
region. Turkey strives for peace in the Middle East and is ready to
normalize relations with Armenia," Erdogan said.
Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey have been broken due
to Armenia’s claims of an alleged genocide, and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. The border between them has been broken since 1993.
According to Erdogan, during his meeting with U.S. President Barack
Obama in Washington last week, he took the opportunity to express
Turkey’s position on normalizing relations with Yerevan, as well as
the country’s dissatisfaction with the adoption of a resolution on
the so-called "Armenian Genocide" by the U.S. Congress Committee on
Foreign Relations.
Erdogan said Turkey’s position in the normalization of relations with
Armenia is clear, and Ankara will take further steps on this basis.
"The reason for closing our borders in 1993 was the occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. As long as the occupation persists, we will not
open our borders," Erdogan said Sunday to the Turkish ATV channel.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the United
States – are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.