Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent statement regarding OSCE Minsk Group’s passivity in Karabakh conflict settlement issue has become an insurmountable obstacle to Turkey’s claims for mediation, director of Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS), Richard Giragosian stated.

As he told a news conference in Yerevan, Turkey can’t be allowed to interfere with Karabakh conflict settlement. “Karabakh issue mustn’t be linked to Armenia-Turkey rapprochement,” he emphasized.

Commenting on the oncoming visit of US Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg to Caucasus, Mr. Giragosian noted that the visit should be construed as a signal for Turkey to meet expectations by expediting ratification of Protocols.

“Displeasing a strong leader like Barack Obama would be a glaring blunder for Turkey,” he said.