Turkish PM and Russian president discuss Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Moscow. The talks were preceded by a meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan in Vienna on November 19 and a meeting of their foreign ministers at an OSCE summit in Kiev on December 4.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkey was interested in a normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian ties. Davugotlu said a few days before attending the BSEC summit in Yerevan that Turkey considered it a good moment for peace initiatives for Nagorno-Karabakh.

Sinan Ogan, a member of the Turkish parliament and Director of the Center for Strategic Studies (TURKSAM), said that Russia and Turkey had a common interest in the settlement of the conflict. He noted that Europe and America saw the need for resolution of the problem.

Ogan emphasized that Turkey had thought that Russia was interested in the conflict. The attitude has now changed and they realized that isolation of Armenia meant isolation of Russia in the South Caucasus.Sergey Mikheyev, Director General of the Institute for Caspian Cooperation said that Russia and Turkey were had a common interest because Turkey did not want the conflict to escalate. Russia is a member of the OSCE Minsk Group and always wants the conflict to be resolved, Turkey wants it only ‘sometimes,’ when it needs to support Azerbaijan.

The expert added that the offer of Europe to normalize relations with Turkey for signing the association agreement was in force.

Hasan Selim Ozertem, an analyst of USAK, noted that Nagorno-Karabakh had played a great role in the Russian-Turkish relations of the past 20 years. Turkey closed the border for Armenia due to occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenians. Attempts of military action to resolve the conflict may affect Russian-Turkish relations.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Moscow. The talks were preceded by a meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan in Vienna on November 19 and a meeting of their foreign ministers at an OSCE summit in Kiev on December 4.Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkey was interested in a normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian ties. Davugotlu said a few days before attending the BSEC summit in Yerevan that Turkey considered it a good moment for peace initiatives for Nagorno-Karabakh.Sinan Ogan, a member of the Turkish parliament and Director of the Center for Strategic Studies (TURKSAM), said that Russia and Turkey had a common interest in the settlement of the conflict. He noted that Europe and America saw the need for resolution of the problem.Ogan emphasized that Turkey had thought that Russia was interested in the conflict. The attitude has now changed and they realized that isolation of Armenia meant isolation of Russia in the South Caucasus.Sergey Mikheyev, Director General of the Institute for Caspian Cooperation said that Russia and Turkey were had a common interest because Turkey did not want the conflict to escalate. Russia is a member of the OSCE Minsk Group and always wants the conflict to be resolved, Turkey wants it only ‘sometimes,’ when it needs to support Azerbaijan.The expert added that the offer of Europe to normalize relations with Turkey for signing the association agreement was in force.Hasan Selim Ozertem, an analyst of USAK, noted that Nagorno-Karabakh had played a great role in the Russian-Turkish relations of the past 20 years. Turkey closed the border for Armenia due to occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenians. Attempts of military action to resolve the conflict may affect Russian-Turkish relations