Armenian, Turkish, Azeri Presidents' meeting in Istanbul prelude for talks in U.S.?

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish President Abdullah Gul's proposal for a regular meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in Turkey indicates Ankara's intention to maintain initiative in the South Caucasus geopolitics, a Turkish expert said.



"With the help of Turkey, the West wants to strengthen its positions in the Nagorno Karabakh process," Tural Kerimli said.



Turkey has tools of pressure on Armenia, which understand that the status of Russia's outpost will hamper its economic growth, according to him.



"The meeting in Istanbul will prepare the ground for Armenian-Azeri talks in the United States," Kerimli concluded, 1news.az reports.



Turkish President Abdullah Gul is reported to be readying to take another bold step to contribute to regional peace in the Caucasus by soon hosting a trilateral summit with the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.



Gul, who introduced his proposal for the trilateral meeting during his meeting with Azerbaijan's visiting President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday, received a positive response from the Azerbaijani leader, diplomatic sources said.



"The summit may take place in a few months," said a Turkish official on condition of anonymity.