Ankara reiterates importance of peace in South Caucasus

/By AzerNews/

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Ankara promised to spare no effort in view of achieving peace in the South Caucasus region.

Being interested in regional peace, particularly the soonest settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkish leadership has come with periodical statements expressing persistent calls for taking appropriate peace-building measures.

Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu's recent address once more underlined Ankara's irreversible support for a stable and peaceful South Caucasus.

Davutoglu, in his recent statement reiterated the brotherly relations between Ankara and Baku, noting that Ankara will always support fraternal Azerbaijani nation

He cemented Azerbaijan's already strong position in Turkey's versatile policy agenda promising further support to the neighboring country.

"Turkey will further support Azerbaijan since both countries are linked not only through economic projects, but also with deep historical roots," he concluded.

The Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains high on Ankara's interests in the South Caucasus region. Turkey - a close ally of Azerbaijan - backs the settlement of the conflict through peaceful means within Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.

Turkey has regularly reaffirmed that conflicts in the South Caucasus, most especially the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have been a constant source of worry for Ankara as it seeks to promote peace in the region. In his comments last month, Davutoglu said the resolution of conflicts in the neighboring South Caucasus region is of particular importance for Turkey. Ankara promises to intensify its efforts in view of resolving all matters of contentions and tensions in the region.

Turkey unequivocally refuses to open its borders with Armenia until the latter withdraws from Azerbaijan's occupied lands. Ankara has put Armenian troop's withdrawal from at least one Azerbaijani district as a condition to revive Turkish-Armenian protocols.

Azerbaijan's internationally recognized Nagorno-Karabakh territory became a conflict zone following Armenia's aggression in the early 1990s. As a result of Armenia's armed invasion, 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory fell under Armenia's occupation.

Ending the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in peace is a top priority in Azerbaijan's agenda. All efforts exerted towards the peace talks prove Baku's aspirations to solve the territorial dispute aside from armed intervention and based on international law. Azerbaijan's territorial integrity should come as the key factor in any effort attempting to solve the problem. International calls and resolutions calling for Armenia's withdrawal from the occupied lands should be obeyed unconditionally for the sake of regional stability and peace, believes Baku.