news.az, Azerbaijan
Dec 26 2009
Turkey and Azerbaijan do not have diverging policies regarding
Karabakh conflict
Sat 26 December 2009 | 08:14 GMT Text size:
MFA of Turkey Answers by the Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Turkey in response to the questions of
News.Az agency.
Azeri side says that there can’t be any normalization between Ankara
and Yerevan relations until Armenia’s withdrawal from Azeri lands. Can
I take your comments about this issue? And could the Turkish
Parliament ratify the two protocols with Armenia in near future?
The process of normalization and dialogue that we have launched with
Armenia aims not only to achieve a comprehensive normalization between
the Turkish and Armenian people but also to contribute to the
establishment of sustainable peace, security and stability in the
South Caucasus. In other words, what we are striving to achieve is a
comprehensive normalization of relations which will lead to
region-wide dialogue and cooperation. It is evident that
Turkish-Armenian normalization alone will not suffice to create such a
comprehensive peace in the region unless it is complemented by a
parallel progress for the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Turkey has signed the Protocols with Armenia in good-faith and remains
committed to taking this process forward. The Protocols are submitted
to the Turkish Parliament for approval. The conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh and the resulting occupation of Azerbaijani territory
is an issue which remains a constant center of attention for the
Turkish public opinion. Turkish public shares the sentiments and the
resentment of the Azerbaijani people concerning the occupied
territories.
It is said that Azeri-Turkish relations was harmed by recent
developments between Turkey and Armenia. How would you comment about
this opinion? Are there any changes in Turkey’s position on Karabakh
problem?
Turkish-Azerbaijani relations are unique as they have their roots in a
long, cherished history and a wide common ground made up of ethnic,
cultural, linguistic and religious affinity between the two peoples.
This unique character strengthens our bilateral relations and renders
it strong against the fluctuations of everyday politics. Turkey and
Azerbaijan may have their differences of opinion from time to time,
but it rather means that we settle these differences through our
strong dialogue based on our mutual trust and find solutions to these
problems based on our common interests.
Turkey and Azerbaijan do not have diverging policies regarding the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Our position on this problem is firm and
has not changed. Like Azerbaijan, we support a peaceful, negotiated
solution to this problem based on the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan. In order to achieve this, we are working closely with
Azerbaijan and the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group. We believe that
Turkey’s active policy and contacts with all the concerned parties
have played a role in creating a new momentum in the peace
negotiations. Turkey will continue to remain actively engaged in this
matter in order to facilitate concrete progress for the resolution of
this grave issue as soon as possible.
What do you think about the opinion that Turkey should be one of the
Co-Chairs of OSCE Minsk group, dealing with Karabakh settlement?
The Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group are playing a facilitating role on
behalf of the Minsk Group during the negotiations between Azerbaijan
and Armenia. Turkey, as a member of the Minsk Group closely follows
and supports the work of the Co-Chairs. Turkey does not intend to
challenge the current set-up of the Co-Chairmanship and makes an
active contribution to the process as a member of this group by
maintaining its close contact with all the three Co-Chairs, as well as
the parties to the conflict.
What steps could be taken by Ankara in the near future vis a vis the
Turkish initiative on Stability and Development Platform in the
Caucasus?
The unresolved conflicts in the South Caucasus continue to stand in
the way for establishing a lasting peace and security in this region.
The good-intentioned efforts of the international community to find a
solution to these problems have not been able to achieve any
substantial breakthrough for the last 17 years. The first requirement
for the peaceful resolution of these conflicts is to build mutual
confidence among the states and the peoples of this region. With this
understanding, following the tragic events of August 2008, Turkey came
up with the idea of establishing CSCP. This Platform aims to bring
together these states around a common political Platform and to
develop mutual understanding and trust by instituting a political
dialogue among them.
CSCP is designed as a long-term initiative for the region. The
preparatory work for the establishment of the Platform is continuing.
We are trying to draft a framework and determine the modalities
through which CSCP will function. So far, we held three such meetings
with the participation of Deputy Foreign Ministers and we are planning
to hold the fourth meeting in early 2010. Given the current political
difficulties in the region, you can imagine that this is not an easy
exercise. It necessitates good-will as well as enough time and effort
by all the participating states. However, all five states have so far
given strong support to this initiative and are actively contributing
to this work. This gives us reason to be hopeful for the future of the
Platform.
Leyla Tagiyeva
News.Az