Ankara tries to promote peace in Caucasus region

Babacan proposes regional cooperation group

Thousands of Kurdish protesters take part in a demonstration for a ‘Democratic Solution to the Kurdish Conflict.’ The rally was held in Istanbul yesterday.

ISTANBUL (AP) – Turkey has proposed forming a regional cooperation group to stabilize the Caucasus region following the war between Russia and Georgia.

The group would include Turkey and four nearby Caucasus nations – Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia – Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said yesterday.

Babacan detailed the proposal during a visit to Turkey by Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili. She said Georgia would only consider joining such a group after Russian forces leave her country.

“It is hard for us to consider cooperation without the ceasefire being fully implemented,” said Tkeshelashvili.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy crafted a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Georgia after the war broke out August 7 over Georgia’s separatist republic of South Ossetia. Georgia and some other European nations say Russia has ignored the agreement’s requirement to return all forces to prewar positions.

“We are waiting for Russia to keep its promise first. We won’t take part in cooperation before we know Russia can be a reliable partner,” Tkeshelashvili said.

The so-called Caucasia Cooperation and Stability Platform would also include Armenia and Turkey’s Muslim ally Azerbaijan, two South Caucasus nations that are locked in a dispute over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Babacan said.

Nagorno-Karabakh has been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since a six-year conflict that erupted in the waning days of the Soviet Union. Some 30,000 people were killed and about 1 million driven from their homes before a ceasefire was reached in 1994. Persistent gunfire along the Azerbaijan-Armenian border has raised fears of a new war.

Turkey has no diplomatic ties with Armenia and the Turkish-Armenian border has been closed for years.

Turkey objects to Armenian forces’ occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia insists the deaths of about 1.5 million ethnic Armenians in the early 20th century should be recognized as genocide. Turkey says the number is inflated and that killings were the result of civil war.

ISTANBUL (AFP) – Turkey’s foreign minister said yesterday he is sending a diplomatic delegation to Armenia in the coming week to draw up plans for a “possible” landmark visit by President Abdullah Gul.

“A delegation from my ministry will travel to Armenia in the course of the coming week to discuss the form of a possible visit by the head of state,” Ali Babacan said at a press conference.

Armenia’s President Serge Sarkissian invited Gul to attend football World Cup qualifiers between Armenia and Turkey at Yerevan on September 6.

His visit could help improve relations between the two foes.

At an official reception on Saturday evening, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared to confirm the president’s visit, saying he will “accompany my foreign minister.” However, Gul, who attended the event, said he had not yet made up his mind.