Armenia may return five regions soon: Azerbaijani MP

“One must not forget that Armenian-Turkish border was closed immediately after Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijan’s Kalbajar region,” Jamalgizi said.

“We have no other ally but Turkey. Turkey has closed its border with Armenia for long, and helps to keep the occupier country out of regional projects. Had it not been for this fact, Armenia would be stronger today.”

“Now the situation is not in Azerbaijan's favor. Even the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs state that Serzh Sargsyan took a more stiff and radical stance on settlement of Karabakh conflict following the signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols in Zurich,” the MP said.

“Our opponent is not Armenia, but the forces that stand behind it. These forces do not want Turkey to become OSCE Minsk Group co-chair. So, I do not believe that Turkey will become Minsk Group co-chair,” she added.

“Erdogan has repeatedly said that opening of the Armenian-Turkish border will happen only after progress in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. I think that he made the statements with knowledge of presence of progress in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict settlement,” she said.

It is not ruled out that Armenia will soon return not seven (the issue of Lachin and Kalbajar regions are more problematic), but five regions. In response to this, Turkey would open its border with Armenia,” Jamalgizi said.  

“Several countries have the leverage on Armenia. Potentially, they can put pressure on Armenia, comparable to those exerted on Turkey to sign Armenian-Turkish protocols,” she said.

“Another thing is that countries that can put such a pressure are not interested in restoring territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,” the MP added.

“For all these reasons I believe that the fate of the Armenian-occupied territories, except for five regions, remains unclear,” Jamalgizi said.

/Day.Az/