Davutoğlu pledges not to disappoint Azerbaijan

In a bid to win the opposition’s support of the government’s plans to normalize relations with neighboring Armenia, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Tuesday held talks with several political party leaders and reassured them that Turkey’s move to normalize relations with Yerevan would not harm its friendly ties with Baku at all. 
 
Davutoğlu visited main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Masum Türker and Felicity Party (SP) leader Numan Kurtulmuş. The minister had already met with Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Şahin last week. Yet, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, a strong critic of the plans to restore relations with Armenia, rejected Davutoğlu’s request for a meeting. Under Switzerland’s mediation, Turkey and Armenia announced on Aug. 31 that they had agreed to start internal consultations before signing two protocols on the establishment of diplomatic ties and the development of bilateral relations.Davutoğlu’s talks with opposition parties mark the beginning of the domestic consultation process, which is expected to be concluded within six weeks following the announcement of the deal. The conclusion of the domestic consultations will then be followed by the ratification of the protocols by the Turkish and Armenian parliaments. Parliament’s role is thus vital in the normalization process. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has noted the accords would not go into effect until the Turkish Parliament approves them.

All three political leaders with whom Davutoğlu met tied the normalization of relations between Ankara and Yerevan to the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Baku and Yerevan, Today’s Zaman has learned.

“We won’t take a step which will sadden our Azerbaijani brothers. They are being informed of the entire process imminently and it will go on as before,” Davutoğlu told the leaders in response.

Turkey closed its border and severed its diplomatic relations with Armenia in 1993, in a show of solidarity with Azerbaijan in a war between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. But nearly two years ago, Turkish and Armenian diplomats launched closed-door talks on the normalization of relations. Reopening the border and establishing ties with Armenia would increase predominantly Muslim Turkey’s influence in the region and aid its faltering bid to join the European Union. The bloc has long asked candidate member Turkey to normalize ties with its neighbor, and restoring diplomatic ties would also be beneficial for regional security.

But the opposition is skeptical, saying a possible move to reopen the border without an Armenian withdrawal from Azerbaijani territory would be detrimental to Turkey’s national interests. In addition to the mostly Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh, seven adjacent Azerbaijani regions were also occupied by Armenia during the 1991 war.

“There is an image that the process is under the control of the Armenian side. We don’t find it appropriate. The process should be taken out of the control of the Armenian side,” Kurtulmuş told Davutoğlu.

Speaking at a press conference following his meeting with Davutoğlu, Baykal remained skeptical on the government’s initiative, saying that the protocols planned to be signed by Ankara and Yerevan included no reference to the need to end occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenia.

 “There is an image that the process is under the control of the Armenian side. We don’t find it appropriate. The process should be taken out of the control of the Armenian side,” Kurtulmuş, meanwhile, told Davutoğlu during their meeting.

In response, the minister said: “Yes, as you said, the image is like that. But this is not true. Nobody has been controlling the process.” Davutoğlu and Kurtulmuş, who said his party would not support the process as long as the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute is not resolved, agreed to meet once more after the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Davutoğlu is paying visits and requesting meetings with all leaders whose political parties won at least 1 percent of the vote in the July 2007 general elections. As of today, Davutoğlu is scheduled to hold talks with Grand Unity Party (BBP) leader Yalçın Topçu and Democrat Party (DP) leader Hüsamettin Cindoruk. He is expected to meet with Democratic Society Party (DTP) leader Ahmet Türk after the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Source: Today’s Zaman
URL: www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-187236-davutoglu-pledges-not-to-disappoint-azerbaijan.html
 

Posted by admin September 2009

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