Progress in the Cyprus, Kurdish and Armenian issues will help the region achieve stability, according to the British Ambassador to Ankara Nick Baird, whose new post will start next month in London as director-general for Europe and Globalization, Hurriyet Daily News reported.
If Turkey's Kurdish, Armenian and Cyprus issues are resolved, the region will be much better off, according to the outgoing British ambassador, who added that Turkey is making good progress in solving the points of contention.
"If we could over the next year really start addressing these three big issues, then the region will be in a much better position," Ambassador Nick Baird told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in an interview.
On Turkish efforts to normalize ties with its neighbor Armenia, the ambassador said the government was very courageous to take that step. The process has been blocked, however, by Ankara linking an open border with Yerevan to progress in Nagorno-Karabakh upon pressure from inside and its regional ally Azerbaijan.
"My sense is now that probably we have to make progress on that [Nagorno-Karabakh] issue in order to take a step forward in the Armenian road map more generally," said Baird.
In April, both Turkey and Armenia announced a road map to normalize their troubled relations, saying they achieved tangible progress and mutual understanding in talks. Ankara's move drew criticism from Azerbaijan, which argues that opening the border will block a settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh. Opposition to the road map, both inside Turkey and from Baku, prompted Ankara to return to its original position, with the prime minister assuring that the border would not be opened before a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.
On Ankara's approach in linking the two problems, Baird said: "I didn't think they have very much choice, frankly. Turkey has good relations with Azerbaijan and it is trying to build better relations with the Armenians. You cannot choose one over another. I mean, you've basically got to, for the purposes of regional stability, take these things forward together."
He added, "We'll be strongly urging the United States and the Minsk Group mediating a solution between Azerbaijan and Armenia to reach an agreement now."
Britain is one of the strongest advocates of Turkey's bid to join the European Union. While Cypriot leaders are preparing for the give-and-take in October to reunify their divided island, the Brussels deadline to review Ankara's performance in complying with Ankara protocol obligations is nearing. Turkey hopes a solution will be reached on Cyprus by the end of this year, which will give it an upper hand in its rocky EU journey.
"We very much hope that progress will be made in the autumn. The [Cypriot] leaders have now finished their first reading of all the issues, which means that they are now moving to serious negotiations. I do think you have a situation where you have two leaders who genuinely want a settlement," said Baird. "They don't agree yet on what that settlement looks like, but the will is there. That's my strong impression. I met them both personally myself."
On Turkey's EU talks, he said, "We must ensure that whatever happens this process continues but to get a solution by the autumn would put a lot more momentum into this process and that's what we really want because we've had three quite difficult, quite slow years."
In Turkish-EU negotiations, eight chapters were frozen due to Ankara's refusal to open its ports to shipping from Greek Cyprus. Turkey has so far opened 11 chapters since it formally started entry talks in October 2005.
"If Turkey can make progress in such a way as to unfreeze those chapters, then that would really give extra momentum to the process," said Baird.
After three years in Turkey, Ambassador Baird said he would return home with good memories. He will serve as director-general in charge of Europe and Globalization in the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London.
He told the Daily News that he would still be completely involved with Turkey. "I'll work very hard for Turkey from London as well ... Turkey is my second home. It has been a fantastic, really, really good three years in Turkey," said Baird.
Turkey is so interesting as well, according to the diplomat. "It is quite a complex society. If you are not here, you don't necessarily understand it as well as you should. One of the most striking things for me in my time here is how little Turkey is understood outside of Turkey. There are big misconceptions about what Turkey is like," he said.
Britain's new ambassador to Ankara will be David Reddaway, who was born in Ottawa, Canada, and studied history at Cambridge University. He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1975. His career has included assignments in Iran (during the Iranian revolution), India, Spain, Argentina and Afghanistan. He last served as British ambassador to Ireland.