Armenian FM: Ankara failed to link Karabakh issue to Armenia-Turkey rapprochement

PanARMENIAN.Net - During Sargsyan-Erdogan meeting, Turkish Prime Minister attempted to open a discussion on Karabakh conflict settlement. Once again expressing official Yerevan’s position, Armenian side stated that Armenia-Turkey rapprochement can't be linked to Karabakh issue, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian stated.

“There’s no sense in discussing Karabakh issue with Turkey,” he noted at the briefing in Washington.

“Turkey can't act as a mediator in Karabakh issue. Armenia will never agree to concessions on Karabakh issue to normalize ties with Turkey,” Foreign Minister noted, adding that linking Karabakh conflict settlement to Armenia-Turkey rapprochement would harm both processes, a position shared by OSCE MG Co-Chairs.

“We launched reconciliation process based on mutual understanding that setting preconditions is out of question. To affirm our mutual understanding, we signed Armenia-Turkey rapprochement Protocols. If currently Ankara's position is altered, should we start questioning whether we have a partner across the border to normalize ties with?”

As he emphasized, unless Turkey seeks to fail the process started, it has to demonstrate its readiness to sign Protocols and normalize ties without preconditions. “This is what international community expects Turkey's actions will be,” Edward Nalbandian stressed.