Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has denied holding talks with Turkey, responding to a Turkish media report on Ankara's proposal to Yerevan to participate in a regional project if the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement moves forward.

"Yerevan is not holding negotiations with Turkey in any format," spokesman Tigran Balayan said when commenting on the report published in Hurriyet Daily News.

The newspaper reported that Turkey had offered Armenia to join its comprehensive regional transportation project linking Europe to Asia, if there is progress in settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, also presenting this proposal to the OSCE Minsk Group -- which is brokering resolution of the long-standing dispute between Armenia, and Azerbaijan, Turkey's long-time ally.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. The two South Caucasus countries fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a precarious cease-fire in 1994. Armenian armed forces have since occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory. Peace talks brokered by Minsk Group co-chairs Russia, France and the U.S. have been largely fruitless so far. Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on a pullout from Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven surrounding regions.

Referring to diplomatic sources, Hurriyet Daily News reported that Ankara is trying to step up the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group.

"We introduced the Integrated Transportation Corridors Project to the Minsk Group on Nov. 8, 2012 in Vienna. This project is to be implemented in peace time and particularly after Armenia moves on with regard to its occupation in seven regions adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh. We are proposing full normalization of Turkey-Armenia and Armenia-Azerbaijan ties," the Turkish diplomatic sources said, adding that the suggestion has received a positive response from all Minsk Group countries.

"We have made clear to them that this project is aimed at creating a peace perspective to the benefit of all relevant parties," the newspaper's sources said.

The sources also claim that Azerbaijan has been informed about the content of the project by Turkey. "We have made clear to them that this is a project that will be implemented only after Armenia moves towards peace," the newspaper reported referring to Azerbaijani sources.