299) Contacts with Armenia / TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO BAKU: ARMENIA NOT ENEMY TO TURKEY

 

 

  Officials of estranged neighbors Turkey and Armenia have been holding talks to discuss bilateral and regional matters, said the Turkish Foreign Ministry yesterday following news reports that a Turkish proposal for normalized ties with Yerevan was presented to Armenian officials at "a secret meeting" in a European country.

 

  Foreign Ministry spokesman Namık Tan said in a written statement that Ankara was willing to enjoy good neighborly ties with Yerevan in line with its foreign policy principles but did not comment on the reported Turkish proposal.

 

  Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations.

 

  "There have been talks with Armenia for a long time at several levels, including foreign ministers, both on international and other platforms. Bilateral and regional issues that concern both countries are being discussed during the talks," Tan said in the statement.

 

  CNN-Türk's Web site reported that Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Ahmet Ãœzümcü and Turkish Ambassador to Georgia Ertan Tezgör "secretly" had met with Armenian diplomats in an unnamed European country after the exchange of letters between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Armenian President Robert Kocharian in April.

 

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

 

ANKARA - Turkish Daily News

 

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Since activities against Turkey have been intensified within the frame of the 90th year of the so-called Armenian genocide, the anticipated meeting between Turkish and Armenian leaders has not taken place; however, mutual contacts are still continuing.

 

There has been no progress in the process initiated in April in a letter by Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to Armenian President Robert Kocharian, however, diplomats from both countries are continuing their efforts to normalize bilateral relations again. Two diplomats from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs have come together with their Armenian counterparts in a European country. In the meeting, the Turkish party has once again

 

presented their proposals for normalization. These proposals are reportedly being evaluated by the Yerevan administration. Namik Tan, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson, replied to a question regarding the talks by pointing out that contacts with the Armenian party occur at various levels, between the foreign ministers in particular, have long been taking place on international and other platforms. ''Regional matters concerning both countries are being handled in these contacts.'' Ankara wants relations to return to normal by asking Yerevan to quit its allegations of genocide, to remove expressions in the Constitution condemning Turkey and to withdraw from the Upper Karabag (Karabakh), a region it has been occupying. Turkey had previously made the decision of not writing a new letter upon Kocharian's attitude in his reply to Erdogan.

 

Source: Zaman, 14.07.2005

 

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TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO BAKU: ARMENIA NOT ENEMY TO TURKEY

 

16.07.2005 05:16

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ «Azerbaijan should not be concerned over the Armenian-Turkish talks in Europe, Turkey is biased on Armenia's actions, but Armenia is not an enemy to Turkey,» stated Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Turan Morali. «Turkey and Armenia have business obligations. Armenians come to Turkey and we should settle the issue of air flights,» the Turkish diplomat stated, adding that «the dialogue is unavoidable.» He also emphasized that due to absence of a Turkish Embassy in Armenia the parties are trying to arrange an indirect dialogue, RFE/RL reported.