Hurriyet DN Online with wires
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 29, 2009 09:59
It would be a shame for the positive steps taken by both Armenia and Turkey fall victim to the efforts of Armenian diaspora, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told a session in Davos. (UPDATED)
Erdogan was speaking at the session titled, "The Great Game Revisited", which was also attended by Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, Armenia's Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian and Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.
Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations and their border has been closed for more than a decade, as Armenia presses the international community with the backing of the diaspora to admit the so-called "genocide" claims instead of accepting Turkey's call to investigate the allegations, and Armenia's invasion of 20 percent territory of Azerbaijan.
A warmer period began in relations when Turkish President Abdullah Gul paid a landmark visit to Yerevan in September to watch a World Cup qualifying football match between the two countries on the invitation of Sargsyan. The two countries have been holding contacts at the minister level since.
The Turkish prime minister earlier told reporters that he would meet with Aliyev again ahead of his meeting with the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan this evening on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, and signaled a road map for further developments in the region.
"It is very normal that I meet Azerbaijan's President Aliyev ahead of the meeting with President Sargsyan. Our talks with Aliyev will determine the framework of my talks with Sargsyan," Erdogan told reporters.
The Turkish prime minister dined with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Davos on Wednesday.
"We can never leave Azerbaijan alone in the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh," Erdogan also told reporters.
"If Armenia shows a sincere attitude in the works conducted at lower levels, we can determine a road map in the meetings after today's talks with Sargsyan," he added.
Erdogan said Wednesday he is hopeful regarding the normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations. "I am hopeful, but I do not know how hopeful the Armenian side is," Erdogan was quoted by the Anatolian Agency as telling reporters on Wednesday. The Turkish prime minister said that he desires to make progress.
Before the talks between Erdogan and Sargsyan, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is also expected to hold a second meeting with his Armenian counterpart Eduard Nalbandian in Davos.
There is an ongoing process between Turkey and Armenia and when a tangible outcome is achieved it would be announced, Babacan had said after his talks with Nalbandian in the Swiss town on Wednesday.
