Turkish MP: Change in Minsk Group format should be decided by OSCE Committee of Ministers

In your opinion, what contribution can Kazakhstan’s OSCE chairmanship make in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

Kazakhstan’s chairmanship can be regarded as a chance to resolve the Karabakh problem. Naturally, everything depends on Kazakhstan’s stepping up efforts to address the problem and the interest of the conflicting sides to hold consultation with Kazakhstan. Taking advantage of its chairmanship, Kazakhstan can expedite work of the Minsk Group and assist in achieving concrete results in resolving the conflict.  

During OSCE Chairman-in-Office Kanat Saudabayev’s visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia, the media broadly discussed Kazakhstan’s involvement with the OSCE  Minsk Group. But involvement of a new country in the work of the Minsk Group requires to change the format of the group, increase the number of co-chairs or replace them. This issue should be resolved by the OSCE Committee of Ministers. I believe Kazakhstan’s talks with the Minsk Group co-chair countries to accelerate the conflict resolution is the most real step in this matter.

Armenia has refused to ratify the Armenian-Turkish protocols. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has already urged Turkey to ratify the Protocols first. Why Armenia wants Turkey to ratify the protocols first?

Our views regarding the protocols are clear. We adhere to a consistent position on Karabakh. Because of this the protocols have not yet appeared in the Turkish Parliament. We made concessions to the Armenian side and stated that we will ratify the protocols and take steps to open borders once Armenia withdraws from five of Azerbaijan’s occupied lands. But the Armenian side seems to be very cautious in this issue. Armenia says let Turkey ratify the protocols first, and then it will think about withdrawal from the five regions. In fact, their desire for Turkey to launch the ratification process first is due to our terms and conditions concerning Karabakh.

Turkey has voiced its discontent with the Armenian Constitutional Court decision. It seems  both Turkey and Armenia advanced new terms after the protocols were signed…

Of course, the protocols contained neither conditions on the Karabakh issue nor comments of the Armenia Constitutional Court. But one cannot deny that the Armenian Constitutional Court has an authority to comment on conformance of international instruments and agreements with the Constitution and laws of the country. So, in general, we do not oppose the Constitutional Court decision. We mainly disagree with preamble of the decision which contains recommendations on continuation of the process in stages which Armenia requires. In any case, given sensitivity of the issue, the signatories to the document should have foreseen the problems that may arise later.

Armenia claims that Turkey cannot involve the Karabakh issue in this process since the protocols make no mention of the conflict…

It is true that the documents make no mention of the Karabakh conflict. If there would be something about it, Armenia would surely oppose it and the protocols would not have been signed. But these protocols meet interests of Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan because these accords imply that Armenia unconditionally recognizes Turkey’s territorial integrity and the commission of historians is tasked to study the "genocide" and achieving regional peace.

As you know, the Armenian Constitution calls Turkey’s territorial integrity into question. The Armenian side has always opposed to studying this issue by historians, and claimed that it was political in nature. But by signing the protocols, it agreed to study of the issue by historians. At the same time, Armenia has agreed to Turkey's participation in peace processes in the region. This means that paves a way for Turkey’s involvement in liberation of Azerbaijan’s occupied territories.

What do you expect from Turkish PM Erdogan's U.S. trip to take place in April?

I do not know details of PM’s visit to the United States. All urgent issues including Turkish-Armenian relations and the Karabakh conflict will certainly be discussed. I think that Barack Obama would put pressure on the Prime Minister in terms of ratification of the protocols to establish relations with Armenia and to recognize the "genocide". Iran, Israel and Iraq also will be the subject of the dialogue. I am confident that Prime Minister Erdogan will protect Turkey's interests in the best manner.

Day.Az