Turkey links Armenian normalization to peace treaty with Baku

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's top aide and spokesman Ibrahim Kalin has spoken about the normalization of relations with Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, making a proposed peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan a condition for the Yerevan-Ankara rapprochement.

Kalin has said that Turkey is “looking positively to normalization” with Armenia following the end of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

“In principle, we are looking positively to normalization with Armenia," Kalin told an interview with Haber Global TV channel, adding that there is "no obstacle" hampering the process.

"But there are still issues to be solved in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The ceasefire agreement has been signed, but a peace agreement has not been yet reached. The conditions of this will be talked; both sides will give approval. This process is continuing. Armenia does not just consist of Armenia; there are many other elements. But this agreement would be for the benefit of Armenia,” Kalin said, according to Duvar English.

He further said that Erdogan had already sent "positive signals" in support of the normalization process. Kalin said that the restoring of ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan would also benefit Turkey and “bring peace to the whole region.”

Erdogan earlier used the UN stage to declare that he has been seeing "positive signals" coming from Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Erdogan said a proposed platform comprising five or six nations of the region will help establish communication from Turkey's Igdir to Azerbaijan, possibly referencing a proposed railroad route through Armenia.