Gul: "The time has come to resolve all disputes in the caucasus"

Addressing a summit of Turkic-speaking nations in Azerbaijan's autonomous region of Nakhchivan over the weekend, President Abdullah Gul said Turkey's efforts for normalization of its relations with Armenia, which have recently gained momentum, show Ankara's contribution to both regional and global peace. Touching on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, Gul again voiced Ankara's support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. "The time has come for a resolution of all disputes in the Caucasus on the basis of the territorial integrity of regional countries, particularly the dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia," he said. "We especially place great importance on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and believe the occupation of Azeri territory should be ended at once. We also believe the time has come for this as well. We hope for a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute through dialogue and diplomacy, and that in this way peace prevails over the entire Caucasus. However, there is no doubt that the first step for this will be ending the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh." In solidarity with Azerbaijan, Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 when Nagorno-Karabakh was invaded by Armenian forces. Also speaking at the summit, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh are in their final phase. "Positive dynamics can be seen in the negotiation process," he said. Mediators from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group, which is co-chaired by the US, France and Russia, say they are hopeful for a breakthrough when Aliyev meets with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau on Thursday. In related news, during his talks in New York late last month, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he expects to present Parliament documents to establish diplomatic ties with Armenia early this month, just before a critical meeting between the two nations' leaders. "If we don't see prejudice or some domestic political considerations at play, I believe the preparation for an agreement, which has been initialed between Turkey and Armenia, could be taken to Parliament to be ratified," he said. "We hope to take those steps by Oct. 10 or 11." Sargsyan is expected to visit Turkey on Oct. 14 to watch a World Cup qualifying soccer match between the two countries together with Gul, who last year visited Yerevan to watch the first leg of the game with Sargsyan.