Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's agenda on his visit to Azerbaijan consists of the natural gas agreement and negotiations over opening of Turkish-Armenian border in exchange to withdrawal of Armenia from two Azerbaijani regions.
Hurriyet newspaper reported that Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, who will be visiting Baku today, has the last proposal over opening of Turkish Armenian border in exchange to withdrawal of Armenian troops from 2 of seven Azerbaijani regions around Nagorno-Karabakh on his agenda. Baku administration was insisting on the formula of 5 regions but the talks came to an impasse because Armenia show no flexibility. Erdogan took some soundings about a formula that will meet Azerbaijan and Armenia on halfway during his meetins with American, Armenian and Russian Presidents. The most important elements of the negotiations over the number of regions are the steps that actors of the region will make in energy projects in Caucasus.
Hurriyet reported that although Baku administration states that they are not going to step back from the formula 5+2, the negotiations over withdrawal of Armenian troops from 2 regions is being continued behind closed doors. It is reported that the two regions are Kelbajar and Fuzuli. Ankara had closed its borders to Armenia following the occupation of Kelbajar in 1993. Because of that, withdrawal of Armenian troops from Kelbajar has vital importance for Ankara.
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