The road to reconciliation between Ankara and Yerevan takes a detour as Prime Minister Erdoğan stops off in Baku to meet with Azerbaijani President Aliyev. In a joint press conference, Erdoğan once again states that a solution to Nagorno-Karabakh problem, namely the retreat of Armenian troops, is the key to opening the border between Turkey and Armenia
Squeezed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Turkey yesterday reaffirmed that "the border with Armenia will remain closed until Armenian occupation of Azeri territories ends," potentially bringing reconciliatory talks with Yerevan back to the beginning and the road map to a dead end.
"There is a cause and effect relation here. Occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh is the cause here and closing of the border is the effect. It is impossible for us to open the border unless that occupation ends," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at a joint press conference with Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev during his two-day visit to Baku.
Erdoğan?s visit was aimed at calming down Azerbaijan, which has been disappointed by Ankara?s negotiations with Yerevan about a road map to normalize ties last month.
Following a meeting with Aliyev, Erdoğan also addressed the Azerbaijani parliament to inform them about the recent developments.
"Who is saying this? The prime minister of the Republic of Turkey. Could there be any better guarantee?" Erdoğan told Azerbaijani deputies.
Erdoğan?s statement verifies Turkey?s new position toward the reconciliation process with Armenia, which introduces the Nagorno-Karabakh problem as the new condition for moving forward with Yerevan.
Turkey says the rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia has also mobilized the international community for the solution of the frozen Nagorno-Karabakh and deserves some praise by Baku as well.
"There is no reason left to be suspicious. The words of the prime minister constitute the best response for that,
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