Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 15 / Trend E.Mehdiyev /
Turkey is an influential state of the region and can affect the processes occurring there. From this perspective, visit of the U.S. Secretary of State to Turkey and the discussions held during the visit are in the spotlight. This visit confirms the growing influence of Turkey in the region, deputy executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan party, MP Mubariz Gurbanli told the party's official website.
Turkey has influence in the South Caucasus as well, Gurbanli said.
"The South Caucasus is one of the most sensitive regions of the world from the geopolitical and geo-economic points of view," Gurbanli said.
According to the MP, from this point of view Turkey's initiatives to resolve conflicts in the region are commendable.
Regional conflicts, including the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, impede the implementation of important projects throughout the region, deputy executive secretary of the NAP noted.
Gurbanli said the world is undergoing great changes, and today leading place in the world is taken not by military force, not the number of troops, but new technology, science and economic power of states.
"The economic projects play a special role in the growth of economic potential. But this is prevented by conflicts. Therefore, the world countries are interested in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. From this perspective, Turkey's initiatives are very valuable. Azerbaijan and Turkey are strategic allies, friendly and brotherly countries. And as a brotherly country Turkey supports a fair position of Azerbaijan in the conflict resolution process. From the perspective of the state model, Turkey plays an important role in the Islamic world," the MP said.
He said Azerbaijan is a secular state is also an attractive country in terms of economic and political model.
"With Turkey we have more common interests than with other countries. Periodically speaking with such initiatives, Turkey wants to turn the Caucasus into a region of peace and stability, tries to achieve economic union of regional states. Karabakh problem prevents it. It should be noted that this conflict harms all the regional states. Armenia no longer represents a value for Russia in the South Caucasus as before, because Turkey, as a strong state in the region, increases the pressure on the processes. Therefore, Turkey's initiatives to address Karabakh problem are very valuable and commendable," Gurbanli stressed.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven 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 peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.