Today’s Zaman, Turkey
June 3 2011
Turkish FM says sees positive signs of breakthrough in Nagorno-Karabakh
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said he sees positive signs of a
breakthrough in a dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, welcoming
Azerbaijan’s “determined and optimistic” position on the conflict.
Davutoglu told reporters in Rome, where he was to participate in the
150th anniversary of Italy’s unification, that he had a chance to
greet Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan on a bus in which both were
returning from the ceremony but said he had spent more time with
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, with whom he had an opportunity to
discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in some detail.
The foreign minister pinned his hope on the leaders’ meeting in Kazan
next month as part of the two presidents’ ongoing peace talks to find
an enduring solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which has
remained in limbo for over 20 years and is a major threat to regional
peace in the South Caucasus. Davutoglu said he had a chance to discuss
peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia and the latest developments
surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh during his meeting with Aliyev.
“Signs [of a breakthrough] are positive. Statements made by the G-8
and [the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Minsk Group] co-chairs are set to expedite the [peace] process. Let’s
wait for the results of the Kazan meeting. We hope to see some
positive steps,” Davutoglu said after having talks with Aliyev in Rome
on Thursday. “I was happy to observe both the determination and the
more optimistic point of view of Mr Aliyev,” Davutoglu stressed.
Davutoglu also had numerous brief bilateral talks with state
dignitaries on the margins of the ceremony in Rome. He had talks with
Palestinian [National] Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Slovenian
President Danilo Turk, and the foreign ministers of Argentina, Brazil,
Britain, India and Sweden. “Despite it being short, it was a
productive trip,” Davutoglu added.
Noting that he had discussed regional issues in his talks, Davutoglu
claimed states feel the necessity to hear Turkey’s opinion as “history
flows around Turkey today.” He said he had an opportunity to
comprehensively discuss developments, particularly those in the Middle
East.
Speaking about the situation in Syria, Davutoglu said Turkey is in
constant contact with Syria, welcoming Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad’s move on Wednesday to pardon political prisoners.
Davutoglu joined leaders from some 80 countries on Thursday to review
a military parade near the Colosseum.
June 2 marks the birth of modern Italy on a peninsula where
city-states and popes fought wars and thwarted unity for centuries.
This year’s 150th anniversary saw Italians pour into the capital from
the north and the south.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, US Vice President Joe Biden,
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping and Argentine President Cristina
Fernandez all paid a visit to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul was also invited to the ceremony but
had to cancel his trip at the last minute because of illness.
Davutoglu represented Turkey in Rome.
The centre of Rome was locked down for a military parade watched by
the leaders and dozens of others, including representatives from
countries with large Italian immigrant populations such as Australia
and Canada.
Davutoglu said it was an honour for him to attend the ceremony in a
country such as Italy, a friend of Turkey.