Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 11 / Trend R.Hafizoglu /
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Adviser on Eurasia Geybulla Geybullayev believes the Russia-Turkey rapprochement may positively affect the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.
"Even if the Russia-Turkey rapprochement will not solve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem at all, it may positively affect it," Geybullayev told Trend over the telephone.
Jan. 12, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Moscow upon his Russian Counterpart Vladimir Putin's invitation. During his visit, Erdogan will mull further development of the Turkey-Russia relations, particularly energy and economic issues discussed during Putin's Ankara visit held in August 2009, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
According to Geybullayev, the Turkey-Russia rapprochement in economic sphere will lead to dialogue.
"If the Turkey-Russia Economic dialogue gets success, then it may resolve several political problems, as well as realize peace and stability platform in the Caucasus," he added.
Though Turkey has always kept the Karabakh issue in its foreign policy agenda, it failed to solve the problem, he added.
He said the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be the main topic of the Erdogan-Putin meeting.
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.
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 have been broken due to Armenia's claims of an alleged genocide, and its occupation of Azerbaijani lands. The border between them has been broken since 1993.
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