Fixing relations with Armenia not priority for Turkey - Government

By  Trend

All attempts by Armenia to repair relations with Turkey are doomed to failure, a source in the Turkish government told Trend Jan. 28.

The source noted that the reason for this is the occupation of Azerbaijani territories.

“The repair of relations with Armenia isn’t a priority for Turkey,” the source added.

If Armenia really wants to repair relations with Turkey, Yerevan should prove this, first of all, by withdrawing its forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, the source said.

“Withdrawing forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories is actually beneficial for Armenia itself,” the source noted. “The occupation policy of Yerevan has led to the fact that Armenia has isolated itself from important regional projects.”

The source added that Armenia should think about the future of its citizens and ensuring normal economic conditions for them, instead of occupying of the territories which sooner or later will return to their true owner - Azerbaijan.

“Armenia must also immediately renounce claims to Turkey over the events of 1915,” the source said.

Turkey closed the borders with Armenia in response to its occupation of Azerbaijani territories.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.