Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The normalization of relations between Ankara and Yerevan depends on establishment of peace in the South Caucasus.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made the remark while answering the questions of Haberturk TV channel.

"Even if Turkey and Armenia restore normal diplomatic relations, they can be severed at any time without the peace in South Caucasus," Davutoglu said.

The minister noted that today solid relations have been created in the region among Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia. "If not to consider the relations between Yerevan and Moscow, we can say that Armenia is in isolation," Davutoglu added.

Davutoglu emphasized that Ankara is not a supporter of such a situation, but if Armenia intends to get out of its isolation, it must withdraw from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

The Turkish Government has repeatedly stated that Ankara's position with regard to the Turkish-Armenian and Azerbaijani-Armenian relations is clear and specific. Only after the liberation of the occupied Azerbaijani territories can one talk about normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that caused a brutal war in the early 1990s. Long-standing efforts by US, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.

As a result of the military aggression of Armenia, over 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, 4,866 are reported missing and almost 100,000 were injured, and 50,000 were disabled.

The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.