Azernews.Az

ANKARA – Turkey has sought to play an active role in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as an initiator of the peace process, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in an interview with CNN Turk on Friday.

However, Davutoglu added that Ankara does not want to "compete" with the other countries that are seeking to mediate the conflict.

"Peace is in everyone's interest," he said. "Because the situation is harmful to all of the countries in the region."

20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts, has been under Armenian occupation for nearly two decades. Defying international law, the separatist regime in Nagorno-Karabakh declared so-called independence in 1991, which has not been recognized by the world community. Despite numerous rounds of OSCE-brokered negotiations, peace talks have been fruitless so far.

Davutoglu once again expressed hope that a peace treaty will soon be signed, which is possible "given patience, calm and a careful approach" to the issue.

He expressed his concern about the situation in the South Caucasus. "The current situation cannot remain unchanged," Davutoglu said.

While discussing the normalization of Turkey-Armenia ties, the minister reaffirmed Ankara's desire to establish full diplomatic relations with the country, stressing that this will only be possible after the signing of an armistice between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Turkey and Armenia have faced differences for decades. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 due to Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territory and claims on 1915 genocide in Ottoman Turkey. In a bid to normalize ties, Turkey signed protocols to establish diplomatic relations and reopen its border with Armenia in Zurich on October 10. The move has triggered a cool-down in its relations with Azerbaijan, Turkey’s ally. However, Turkish officials have pledged that Ankara could normalize ties with Yerevan only after the Karabakh conflict has been fairly settled.