Tweet
TURKEY IS IN BETTER POSITION TO SOLVE KARABAKH CONFLICT THAN THE OSCE MINSK GROUP: U.S. EXPERT
T. Teymur Day.Az
Today.Az
10 December 2009 [13:07]
Day.Az interview with professor of Government and Politics in George
Mason University Mark N. Katz. The interview focuses on the latest
meeting of U.S. President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to the Press, Obama and Erdogan did discuss the Nabucco
project. What are the perspectives of this project? What, in your
opinion, the U.S. can do to support the project?
I think that the important thing that the Obama Administration can
do is to point out to Ankara how Nabucco is very much in Turkey's
interest: having Nabucco running through Turkey will position Turkey to
be the main export route for Iranian gas to Europe when Iranian-Western
relations finally become normalized. And one day, they will.
Turkish PM was quite unsatisfied with the OSCE Minsk group's efforts
to resolve the Karabakh problem, and urged the group to show more
will in this important matter. What, in your opinion, the OSCE Minsk
group could truly do to boost the Karabakh process?
The Minsk group is neither willing nor able to force Azeraijan and
Armenia to reach a settlement, therefore all they can do is try to
persuade them to do so through offering sweeteners to both sides to
get them to agree. Ironically, Turkey may be in a better position to
do this than the Minsk group.
Judging from Erdogan's words, Turkey is ready to become a mediator
in the Iran-U.S. relations. What, in your opinion, Ankara can do to
help the negotiations between Tehran and Washington?
I really don't think that Turkey can serve as a moderator or mediator
in US-Iranian relations. If either Washington or Tehran (or both) does
not want to improve relations, Ankara will be unable to persuade them
to do so. But if Washington and Tehran both want to improve relations,
they will not need Turkey to faciliate this process.
T. Teymur Day.Az
Today.Az
10 December 2009 [13:07]
Day.Az interview with professor of Government and Politics in George
Mason University Mark N. Katz. The interview focuses on the latest
meeting of U.S. President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to the Press, Obama and Erdogan did discuss the Nabucco
project. What are the perspectives of this project? What, in your
opinion, the U.S. can do to support the project?
I think that the important thing that the Obama Administration can
do is to point out to Ankara how Nabucco is very much in Turkey's
interest: having Nabucco running through Turkey will position Turkey to
be the main export route for Iranian gas to Europe when Iranian-Western
relations finally become normalized. And one day, they will.
Turkish PM was quite unsatisfied with the OSCE Minsk group's efforts
to resolve the Karabakh problem, and urged the group to show more
will in this important matter. What, in your opinion, the OSCE Minsk
group could truly do to boost the Karabakh process?
The Minsk group is neither willing nor able to force Azeraijan and
Armenia to reach a settlement, therefore all they can do is try to
persuade them to do so through offering sweeteners to both sides to
get them to agree. Ironically, Turkey may be in a better position to
do this than the Minsk group.
Judging from Erdogan's words, Turkey is ready to become a mediator
in the Iran-U.S. relations. What, in your opinion, Ankara can do to
help the negotiations between Tehran and Washington?
I really don't think that Turkey can serve as a moderator or mediator
in US-Iranian relations. If either Washington or Tehran (or both) does
not want to improve relations, Ankara will be unable to persuade them
to do so. But if Washington and Tehran both want to improve relations,
they will not need Turkey to faciliate this process.