Turkey appointed its former ambassador to the United States Serdar Kılıç as special envoy to lead normalization discussions with Armenia, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Çavuşoğlu said positive statements for the normalization of relations were recently made by both sides, adding that there is a need to take confidence-building measures.
"We consult with Azerbaijan on every issue and take such steps ... Nobody should question whether we can act independently or separately from Azerbaijan. We are one nation, two states. These are positive things that will benefit us all," Çavuşoğlu said.
Kılıç's appointment has been made with the approval of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the foreign minister said.
Çavuşoğlu also stated that Turkish and Armenian airlines have applied to operate flights between Istanbul and Yerevan.
"These (applications) are evaluated by the Transport Ministry and the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (SHGM). In principle, we approach it positively," he added.
He said that Turkey wants to see peace, stability, economic development and joint projects in the region.
Armenian officials also said the country is ready to normalize relations with Turkey without preconditions.
Azerbaijani officials also noted that they are ready to normalize relations with Armenia.
The borders between the two countries have been closed for decades and diplomatic relations have been on hold.
Armenia and Turkey signed a landmark peace accord in 2009 to restore ties and open their shared border after decades, but the deal was never ratified and ties have remained tense.
Relations between Armenia and Turkey have historically been complicated. Turkey's position on the events of 1915 is that Armenians lost their lives in eastern Anatolia after some sided with the invading Russians and revolted against the Ottoman forces. The subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties, with massacres by militaries and militia groups from both sides increasing the death toll.
Turkey objects to the presentation of the incidents as "genocide" but describes the 1915 events as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.
Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission made up of historians from Turkey and Armenia and international experts to tackle the issue.
During the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict last year, Ankara supported Baku and accused Yerevan of occupying Azerbaijan’s territories.
