Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 19 / Trend R. Hafizoglu /
Turkish and Armenian relations are likely to normalize after solving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkish CNN Turk channel expert Taha Akyol told media in Baku today.
He said that it is impossible to reach stability in the Caucasian region without solving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10. Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey were broken in 1993.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey have been broken due to Armenia's claims of an alleged genocide and its occupation of Azerbaijani lands. The border between the two nations has been closed since 1993.
In addition to the so-called "Armenian genocide" in 1915, Armenia has voiced territorial claims on Turkish Anatolia.
Akyol said that signing the Turkish-Armenian protocols led to disputes inside the Armenian Diaspora.
According to the protocols, Armenian must recognize territorial integrity of regional countries even if the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not indicated in these documents," Akyol 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 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 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 the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. General Assembly's resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.
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