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Caucasus platform of security to help stabilization in the Caucasus: Turkish president

Politics Materials 14 April 2009 16:26 (UTC +04:00)
Caucasus platform of security to help stabilization in the Caucasus: Turkish president

The implementation of the Caucasus platform will not only normalize the ties between Turkey and Armenia, but also improve security in the Caucasus, Turkish President Abdulla Gul said. Gul is on a state visit to Bahrain, the TRT 2 channel reported.

"Steps have been making to normalize ties between Turkey and Armenia. While normalizing the ties with Armenia, we are working over the resolution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict," Gul added.

Armenian-Turkish ties have been severed since 1993 due to Armenia's claims of an alleged genocide, and the country's occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Yerevan on Sept. 6, 2008 upon the invitation of his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisyan to watch an Armenia-Turkey football match.

Efforts have been made to normalize ties between the two countries ever since

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.

"Our aim is to reach stability in Caucasus and we are working in this direction," said Gul.

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