After the Baku visit of Rajap Tayyip Erdogan and his explanation it is hard to say how the negotiations between Ankara and Yerevan will take place.
The Turkish experts and the resources close to the government inform that the destiny of the “Road map” agreed with Armenia will be defined in the meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Saint- Petersburg in June. At the very meeting if an agreement on evacuation of the surrounding regions of Nagorno-Karabakh is reached Turkey will start to take concrete steps toward establishment of diplomatic relations and opening of the borders.
That is why on behalf of Europe the USA and France as well as Turkey increased their efforts for achievement of an agreement in Saint-Petersburg meeting. Prime Minster of Turkey Rajap Tayyip Erdogan’s meeting with Putin after Baku visit, meeting with the people of OSCE Minsk Group cochairman Bernard Fasye negotiating with Armenia in Ankara, meeting up with Armenian Foreign Affairs minister in Brussels and the statement made in the French embassy in Turkey that “two processes should be carried out in a parallel way” show that the achievement in the direction of having the progress in the negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia has been made.
Will there be a result? Does Armenia agree with the term of evacuation of the surrounding regions of Nagorno-Karabakh in exchange for Turkey to open the borders?
Press Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Elkhan Polukhov informed “Media forum” that official Baku wanted to carry out the negotiations in a parallel way: “The position of Azerbaijan has been expressed clearly. Turkey and Armenia should carry out parallel negotiations with the negotiations on the solution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Mutual proper steps can be taken in this direction”.
From the explanation of the Press Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs it is clear that Azerbaijan doesn’t object to the opening of the borderlines if Armenia evacuates the surrounding regions of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Cofounder of Republican Alternative Real Union (REAL), political scientist Ilgar Mammadov considers that it is not right to lay down this kind of condition before Turkey. I. Mammadov thinks that it is impossible to achieve the progress in the solution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: “It is impossible to achieve the progress with cochairmen of Russia, France and US. The progress can be achieved if Russia, Europe or US is the only negotiator. In this case the progress is possible”.
I.Mammadov says that if Russia sees itself as the only negotiator and strives for progress the results is possible: “If there is a little progress in the negotiations the opening of Turkey-Armenia borderlines is inevitable. The whole solution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will take long. That is why Turkey will open the borders as a progress in the direction of evacuation of the surroundings of Nagorno-Karabakh. After this, Turkey will strengthen its positions and will slowly get Armenia from Russia. In that case Azerbaijan’s interests will be efficiently protected in Karabakh negotiations”.
I.Mammadov thinks that in any case opening of the borders between Turkey and Armenia will be beneficial for Azerbaijan. “From this point, it is hard to understand severe opinion of Azerbaijan government against Turkey. It seems that Azerbaijan government understands that if the border is opened Turkey will have strong impact on Armenia and Turkey will strengthen its position in Azerbaijan. As a country where an authoritarian regime exists there is a fear that Turkey will have a strong position in Azerbaijan and that is why the government is leading irrelevant and stupid policy against Turkey”.
«Media forum»
