President Abdullah Gul revealed that Turkey and Russia have been engaged in closed-door discussions concerning Armenia since Ankara and Yerevan signed the Turkey-Armenia protocols in October.
Gul made the revelation during an interview broadcast on CNN Turk. He stated that “silent, yet very active diplomacy” has been occurring between Turkey and Russia, focusing on a political settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
“While we are raising the frozen conflicts, making the process open would only complicate it,” Gul told CNN Turk, explaining why details of the discussions are being kept under wraps.
The protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of the common border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks held through Swiss mediation.
