Category: 2023

The Turkish parliament speaker on Thursday met with his Armenian counterpart and said that Ankara wants “full normalization” of ties with Yerevan.

Mustafa Sentop and Alen Simonyan held a closed-door meeting on the sidelines of the 61st General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC).

"We will continue to support the PABSEC work in the strongest way from now on," Sentop told Simonyan.

Noting that Türkiye desires the establishment of good neighborly relations in its region, Sentop said: "Our aim in our normalization process with Armenia is essentially to realize this desire."

He added it is necessary to avoid steps that will harm the normalization process.

About the inauguration of the "Nemesis Monument" in the Armenian capital Yerevan, Sentop said it is an "unacceptable development that openly glorifies terrorism and makes terrorists heroic."

The monument honors perpetrators of assassinations against Ottoman and Azerbaijani officials in the early 1920s.

"The opening of this monument has created a serious disturbance in Türkiye. I think that we look at this issue as a very sensitive issue, that we will not accept the glorification of terrorism in any way and that such events will negatively affect good neighborly relations," he added.

Sentop said that the signing of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan as soon as possible is of great importance for comprehensive normalization in the region, adding: "Such a development will start a new period of opportunity and cooperation for our region, and Armenia will also benefit from it like all the countries in the region."

For his part, Simonyan said that Armenia approaches relations with Türkiye in a "constructive" way and added the opening of the monument was not related to state policy and that no deputies from the government attended the opening ceremony.

"No deputies representing the government were present at that ceremony. Those deputies are the ones representing the opposition and they criticize us for taking a step in this (normalization) process. We anticipate that there will be many obstacles and difficulties on this path, but we have to go through them so that we can reach a conclusion," he added.

Simonyan also said that they want peace with Azerbaijan and want to sign a peace agreement with Baku.

Meanwhile, Sentop separately met with his Montenegrin counterpart Danijela Djurovic, Morocco’s Rachid Talbi Alami, and Serbian parliament speaker Vladimir Orlic on the sidelines of the meeting.

If the countries in the Caucasus choose to invest in peace, it will open new opportunities in the region, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Thursday.

In an article for TRT World, Akar said, "Hopefully, reversing historical enmities will pave the way for lasting friendship and cooperation."

"However, we must be mindful of the delicate situation at hand. While the conflict is currently frozen, the threat of falling back into hostilities grows the longer it takes to hammer out a deal," he said.

Akar said two issues have prevented Ankara and Yerevan from developing normal ties since Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union. One was "the war in 1992 over Karabakh and the consequent occupation, in violation of international law, of a substantial amount of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia."

"The other obstacle is the unresolved differing perspectives on the historic events of 1915 that led to the deaths of both Armenians and Muslims in the final years of the Ottoman Empire," he said.

While the first one has more or less been resolved, with Azerbaijan regaining its lands in 2020 after three decades of Armenian occupation, the second one "has proven far more difficult to surmount, as it is a deeply emotional and sensitive topic for both sides," said Akar.

Türkiye is keen to resolve this issue and called on Armenia in 2005 to open its national archives and establish a joint committee of historians to research the events of 1915, said Akar, adding "Türkiye has already opened its national archives to international scrutiny, but Armenia still keeps its archives closed and refuses to respond to our call."

"During World War I, the Ottoman Empire was attacked by Russia on its eastern front, emboldening Armenian nationalists to take up arms and engage in acts of violence against Muslims, including attacks on Muslim villages and civilians. These acts have been documented and acknowledged by historians as well as by Western military missions at the time," he said.

He also said that American Gen. James Guthrie Harbord's report on the events of that time "also documented the atrocities committed by Armenians, who did not constitute a majority in any region of the Ottoman lands, against other subjects of the empire."

"This is not to disregard the massive humanitarian crises that took place during this period. President (Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan back in 2014 – then as the prime minister – expressed his condolences to the descendants of the Armenians who lost their lives in that period," Akar said.

Türkiye’s position on the events of 1915 is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.

Ankara objects to the presentation of these incidents as "genocide," describing them as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.

Akar said that Türkiye remains steadfast in its belief that the Turkish and Armenian people, who have a long history of living in tolerance and peace, can establish relations based on friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation, despite the challenges.

"If the countries in the region and beyond choose to invest in peace, the political and economic dividends will be high for the entire region. Türkiye would like to see third countries – including its allies in the West – either help usher in this new understanding or be at least wary of efforts to politicize a historical controversy and perpetuate hostilities," he added.

On the other side, regarding the ongoing tensions between Baku and Yerevan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on the same day that direct talks between his country and Armenia are the best way for achieving a peace agreement.

"I believe that direct negotiations between the two countries will be more useful and necessary. I think we should continue to move in this direction if, of course, Armenia is also ready for this," he said, speaking at an international conference in the city of Shusha on Wednesday.

Aliyev said that Armenia, now more openly than some of its friends in the West, recognizes Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and it only needs to express that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan as it has already done on paper.

"The Alma-Ata Declaration actually delineated and recognized as administrative and official the borders of the former republics of the USSR. This means that they (Armenians) have already agreed that Karabakh is Azerbaijan. And I recently said that they just need to say the last word. They said "A." Now they should have said "B." They should say what I said, that Karabakh is Azerbaijan. I am waiting for that. I hope that time will come," he said.

Aliyev admitted that there are some sensitive issues in relations with the U.S. concerning the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, but for the rest, "the bilateral agenda is very wide."

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military illegally occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent regions.

Clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian Army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces, violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements. During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and around 300 settlements and villages that Armenia had occupied for almost 30 years.

The fighting ended with a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, which was seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia. However, the cease-fire has been violated several times since then.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said direct talks between his country and Armenia are the best way for achieving a peace agreement.

"I believe that direct negotiations between the two countries will be more useful and necessary. I think we should continue to move in this direction if, of course, Armenia is also ready for this," he said, speaking at an international conference in the city of Shusha on Wednesday.

Aliyev said that Armenia now more openly than some of its friends in the West recognizes Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and it only needs to express that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan as it has already done on paper.

"The Alma-Ata Declaration actually delineated and recognized as administrative and official the borders of the former republics of the USSR. This means that they (Armenians) have already agreed that Karabakh is Azerbaijan. And I recently said that they just need to say the last word. They said "A." Now they should have said "B." They should say what I said, that Karabakh is Azerbaijan. I am waiting for that. I hope that time will come," he said.

Aliyev admitted that there are some sensitive issues in relations with the US concerning the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, but for the rest, "the bilateral agenda is very wide."

Turning to energy cooperation with foreign countries, he said there are negotiations on increasing the volume of Kazakh oil supplies through Azerbaijan, which has the capacity for this.

The president noted that oil supplies via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline may lead to problems with the quality of fuel, since Kazakh oil differs from Azeri light crude, noting that as an alternative, the Baku-Supsa Pipeline may be used for these purposes.

Aliyev also said that Azerbaijan is working on increasing gas supplies to Europe, and if the necessary infrastructure is built in time, supplies may start this year.

He also expects deeper integration with Central Asia in the future, not only in energy projects, but also in other sectors.

Aliyev praised the cooperation with Central Asian states within the Organization of Turkic States, urging to turn it into a global player, which will be beneficial for all its participants.

– Relations with Iran

Speaking on relations with Iran, Aliyev said Azerbaijan does not want problems with any countries, particularly with its neighbors.

However, when video cameras were set up on the Lachin-Khankendi road, they spotted the movement of Iranian trucks to regions of Karabakh, which is illegal because Iran recognizes Azerbaijan's sovereignty over Karabakh, he said.

The president said Azerbaijan expects from Iran the same attitude that Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan shows.

"These three countries did not actually have diplomatic relations with Armenia because of the occupation. Therefore, people thought that it would be natural if Iran were among these three countries and demonstrated solidarity," he said.

Another affair that overshadows relations between Baku and Tehran is the killing of an employee of the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran's capital, said Aliyev.

"For 40 minutes (of the attack), there were no police, no employees of the local security service, no one," he stressed.

The president said he personally made a decision to close the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran because for him, the lives and safety of people are of utmost importance.

Now relations between Azerbaijan and Iran are at their lowest level, and it is very difficult to predict whether they will remain at this level, deteriorate further, or improve, he said.

According to Aliyev, if Tehran proposes normalization, Baku will be ready to make this step only when its demands are fulfilled.

"If no, then no. Again, it wasn't our choice. But everyone in Iran, all segments of the establishment, should finally understand that the language of threats and terror does not work with Azerbaijan.”

https://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/azerbaijans-president-says-direct-talks-with-armenia-best-way-to-achieve-peace-agreement-3664026

05:44 am | Updated 05:44 am IST – WASHINGTON

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that Armenia and Azerbaijan have made “tangible progress” in U.S.-hosted peace talks between the two former Soviet republics that have repeatedly clashed over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The four-day negotiating session did not produce a peace agreement, but Blinken said he believed a deal could be “within sight, within reach” and praised the two sides for coming together to try to find common ground.

He said reaching an agreement would be "not only historic but would be profoundly in the interests of the people of Azerbaijan and Armenia and would have very positive effects even beyond their two countries.”

The closed-door discussions were held far from the media spotlight at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute in northern Virginia. The Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers, who led their delegations, did not speak at the closing ceremony.

U.S. engagement in the conflict could be seen as a challenge to Russia’s influence in an area it regards as being within its sphere of influence. Although Russia brokered the last significant deal between the two sides and now maintains troops in Nagorno-Karabakh, it has been more recently preoccupied by the conflict in Ukraine. And, while Blinken spoke of progress, there was no sign that a peace deal was at hand.

The mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is smaller than the U.S. state of Delaware, has significant cultural importance to both Armenians and Azeris.

It had a substantial degree of autonomy within Azerbaijan when it was part of the Soviet Union. As the USSR deteriorated, Armenian separatist unrest broke out, later turning into a full-scale war after the Soviet Union collapsed.

Most of the Azeri population was driven out by the end of the fighting in 1994. Ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia took control not only of Nagorno-Karabakh itself but of sizable surrounding Azerbaijani areas.

For the next quarter-century, Nagorno-Karabakh was a “frozen conflict,” with Armenian and Azerbaijani forces facing off across a no-man’s land and occasional clashes. In September 2020, Azerbaijan launched a full-scale assault to take the region. The fierce fighting lasted six weeks.

The war ended with a Russia-brokered armistice under which Azerbaijan regained control of parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and all the surrounding territory previously occupied by Armenians. Russia sent a peacekeeping force of 2,000 troops to maintain order, including ensuring that the so-called Lachin Corridor road that connects Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia remains open.

In mid-December last year, Azeris claiming to be environmental activists began blocking the road, saying they were protesting illegitimate mining by Armenians. Armenia contends the protests are orchestrated by Azerbaijan.

In turn, Azerbaijan alleges that Armenians have used the corridor to transport land mines into Nagorno-Karabakh in violation of the armistice terms.

Last month, at least seven soldiers were killed in clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces. Armenia claimed a sniper killed one of its soldiers near the village of Sotk. Azerbaijan denied that and said Armenians opened fire with small arms on its forces, who returned fire.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly alleged that Armenians have used the Lachin Corridor to bring weapons and ammunition into Nagorno-Karabakh.

MOSCOW

Azerbaijan said on Thursday that progress on some articles of a future peace treaty with Armenia was achieved at talks in Washington.

The sides, however, did not find common ground on some key issues, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

"The ministers and their accompanying delegation members reached a mutual agreement on some articles of the draft bilateral agreement on peace and establishment of interstate relations, but at the same time recognized that positions on some key issues still diverge," it said.

The White House on Wednesday welcomed the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, who engaged in a four-day negotiating session since Sunday.

Jake Sullivan, US national security adviser, said on Twitter that it was "good to host" Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenia's Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at the White House, adding that he welcomed the "progress Armenia & Azerbaijan have made in talks," encouraging "continued dialogue."

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Most of the territory was liberated by Baku during a war in 2020 fall, which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement and opened the door to normalization.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/azerbaijan-says-progress-on-draft-peace-treaty-with-armenia-achieved-at-talks-in-us/2889988

 Faizan Hashmi  Published | 07:05 PM