Azerbaijan, Baku, 22 April / Trend M. Aliyev /
The OSCE Minsk Group, which has taken over the mediation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, can not adequately perform its task. Against this background, the role of Turkey looks quite objective, the Deputy Chairman-Executive Secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) Ali Ahmadov said.
According to him, Azerbaijan has repeatedly stressed that Turkey may play a major role in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking before the House of Representatives on April 18, said Turkey might become a constructive player in the settlement of the Cyprus and Nagorno-Karabakh issues.
According to Ahmadov, mediation has been conducted in an unfair format.
"If we look at the composition of the mediators, we can see there is not a single party that would protect Azerbaijan's interests. Alongside, the mediators are not neutral. Thus, on the one hand, they are not neutral, but on the other, there are no mediators that would protect the just position of Azerbaijan. In this case, the value of Turkey's role in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict increases even more," Ahmadov said.
According to him, Turkey's role in the South Caucasus as well as the role and prospects in the settlement of the processes associated with the region are also creating opportunities to significantly influence the settlement of the conflict.
"We, as citizens of Azerbaijan, consider it fair. Scoring such a thought on the part of John Kerry is also not an accident," Ahmadov said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.