Azerbaijan comments on Protocols
Azerbaijan started heated discussions on the Armenian-Turkish Protocols signed in Zurich, Switzerland.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry was the first to come forth with a statement. "Azerbaijan believes the pledges of brotherly Turkey and is hopeful that the Karabakh conflict will be resolved within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan."
Note that Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a similar statement on October 11 saying that no breakthrough can be anticipated in the relations unless Armenian troops are withdrawn from the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
A number of politicians have shared opinions on the Protocols.
According to Wafa Guluzade, Turkey signed the Protocols under the pressure of the USA.
The step was humiliating for Turkey, but Turkey signed the documents to weaken Russia's position in the region and to make Armenia withdraw from the influence of Moscow, said Wafa Guluzade.
"Following the signing ceremony Serzh Sargsyan was summoned to Moscow to detail the documents. I think Russia will play its game," said the politician.
The expert says Turkey hopes to join the European Union, and therefore, neglects the interests of Baku, and goes to a rapprochement with Armenia.
Another Azerbaijani political scientist, Zardusht Alizadeh, believes that the Protocols are advantageous to Armenia and Turkey in the sense that Europe will remove senseless accusations from Ankara.
In addition, he argues that the settlement of the Karabakh conflict lies in the lines of the Protocols since the signing ceremony was attended by the OSCE Minsk Group.
Rasim Musabekov thinks the ratification will take a long time, since the Armenian parliament will introduce some changes in the document and make it inadmissible for Turkey.
