Will Kazan meeting determine Armenian-Turkish relations?
"Armenian -Turkish relations are closely linked to the upcoming meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Kazan," President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Mevlüt Çavusoglu said in Strasbourg when answering a question by "Azatutyun" (Liberty) radio station.
The PACE President is hopeful that Presidents Serzh Sargsyan (Armenia) and Ilham Aliyev (Azerbaijan) will come to an agreement in Kazan.
"I hope that the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will sign an agreement on the Karabakh conflict settlement. Nobody can be happy if no agreement is signed. We are pleased with the progress," said Çavusoglu.
Asked whether Turkey is going to ratify the Armenian-Turkish Protocols after the parliamentary elections, the PACE President gave an interesting answer, linking the issue to the outcome of the Kazan meeting.
"Turkey's Prime Minister has repeatedly said that the country has concrete prerequisites. As soon as they are met, Turkey will ratify the protocols," he said adding that the protocols also suggest certain clauses the sides are well aware of.
Asked about the expediency of resumption of the PACE sub-committee on Karabakh on the eve of the Kazan meeting, Çavusoglu said that the sub-committee does not aim to prevent the talks over Karabakh.
"It was not me who initiated the formation of the sub-committee. The latter was established at the initiative of the Council of Europe, during the presidency of Russell Johnson," said Çavusoglu.
