Deputy FM: Turkey shouldn’t attempt to distort Karabakh problem essence

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan commented on the recent statement by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu, who proposed to hold Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement talks in Istanbul.

“If the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs truly wants to support the settlement of the conflict, Turkey should not attempt to distort the essence of the Nagorno Karabakh problem, i.e. the realization of the right to self-determination of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh as a response to which the authorities of Azerbaijan resorted to the policy of ethnic cleansings against the population of Nagorno Karabakh and to a widespread aggression against the self-determined Nagorno Karabakh Republic,” Mr. Kocharyan said.

“For the resolution of the conflict it would be productive if Turkey could encourage Azerbaijan to negotiate with the real party to the conflict, Nagorno Karabakh. Turkey at least should not continue to support the “everything or nothing” position of Azerbaijan and the attempts to shift the negotiation process away from the Minsk Group format, aimed at failing the efforts of the mediators,” he said.