Ankara has much to gain from not linking Karabakh conflict to rapprochement with Armenia

February 15, 2010 - 15:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net -
The recent presidential speech in Chatham House contained new ideas, according to Alexander Manasyan, Yerevan State University professor.

“It’s notable that President Sargsyan touched upon Nakhijevan in his address,” prof. Manasyan told reporters on Monday.

As to normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey, he said that Ankara has much to gain from not linking Karabakh conflict settlement to rapprochement with Armenia, since otherwise Yerevan can raise the Nakhijevan issue.

Prof. Manasyan also added that protracting the process of ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols, Ankara will give cause to US President Obama to avoid using the term genocide in his April 24 address.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

Nakhijevan

Nakhijevan is an autonomous republic within Azerbaijan, the homeland of the ruling Aliyev clan. An Armenian territory until 1923, Nakhijevan was transferred to Azerbaijan, whose leadership eliminated the Armenian historical and cultural heritage in the area.