Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 12 / Trend , R.Hafizoglu/
It will be impossible to ratify the Ankara-Yerevan protocol without the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, believes ex-analyst of the Turkish National Intelligence Committee.
"It will not be possible to ratify the Ankara-Yerevan protocol without the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Mahir Kaynak told Trend in a telephone conversation from Ankara on Oct. 12.
Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers, Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward Nalbandian signed the protocol Ankara-Yerevan in Zurich on Oct. 10.
On Aug. 31, Turkey and Armenia in the talks mediated by Switzerland reached an agreement to launch "internal political consultations" to sign the Protocol on Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and Protocol on Development of Bilateral Relations, the Turkish Foreign Ministry reported.
Political consultations will be completed within six weeks, and following that two protocols will be signed and submitted to the two countries' parliaments for approval, the ministry reported.
At present Turkey does not plan to open the borders with Armenia, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davudoglu said earlier.
Armenian-Turkish ties have been severed since 1993.
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.
"It is necessary to release Azerbaijani occupied territories, not only Karabakh but other occupied regions," the Turkish Foreign Minister, Davudoglu said in his interview with the Turkish TRT1 TV channel one day after the signing of the protocol.
During the visit to the Turkish city of Kayseri, Turkish President, Abdullah Gul commented on the signed Ankara-Yerevan protocol and said that it is impossible to solve all problems between the two countries at once
Kaynak said resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is one of important issues for Ankara, because it is pointless to speak about restoration of peace and stability in the region without it.
He said the country's president and prime minister will keep their promises made to Azerbaijan.