If the countries in the Caucasus choose to invest in peace, it will open new opportunities in the region, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Thursday.
In an article for TRT World, Akar said, "Hopefully, reversing historical enmities will pave the way for lasting friendship and cooperation."
"However, we must be mindful of the delicate situation at hand. While the conflict is currently frozen, the threat of falling back into hostilities grows the longer it takes to hammer out a deal," he said.
Akar said two issues have prevented Ankara and Yerevan from developing normal ties since Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union. One was "the war in 1992 over Karabakh and the consequent occupation, in violation of international law, of a substantial amount of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia."
"The other obstacle is the unresolved differing perspectives on the historic events of 1915 that led to the deaths of both Armenians and Muslims in the final years of the Ottoman Empire," he said.
While the first one has more or less been resolved, with Azerbaijan regaining its lands in 2020 after three decades of Armenian occupation, the second one "has proven far more difficult to surmount, as it is a deeply emotional and sensitive topic for both sides," said Akar.
Türkiye is keen to resolve this issue and called on Armenia in 2005 to open its national archives and establish a joint committee of historians to research the events of 1915, said Akar, adding "Türkiye has already opened its national archives to international scrutiny, but Armenia still keeps its archives closed and refuses to respond to our call."
"During World War I, the Ottoman Empire was attacked by Russia on its eastern front, emboldening Armenian nationalists to take up arms and engage in acts of violence against Muslims, including attacks on Muslim villages and civilians. These acts have been documented and acknowledged by historians as well as by Western military missions at the time," he said.
He also said that American Gen. James Guthrie Harbord's report on the events of that time "also documented the atrocities committed by Armenians, who did not constitute a majority in any region of the Ottoman lands, against other subjects of the empire."
"This is not to disregard the massive humanitarian crises that took place during this period. President (Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan back in 2014 – then as the prime minister – expressed his condolences to the descendants of the Armenians who lost their lives in that period," Akar said.
Türkiye’s position on the events of 1915 is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.
Ankara objects to the presentation of these incidents as "genocide," describing them as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.
Akar said that Türkiye remains steadfast in its belief that the Turkish and Armenian people, who have a long history of living in tolerance and peace, can establish relations based on friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation, despite the challenges.
"If the countries in the region and beyond choose to invest in peace, the political and economic dividends will be high for the entire region. Türkiye would like to see third countries – including its allies in the West – either help usher in this new understanding or be at least wary of efforts to politicize a historical controversy and perpetuate hostilities," he added.
On the other side, regarding the ongoing tensions between Baku and Yerevan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on the same day that direct talks between his country and Armenia are the best way for achieving a peace agreement.
"I believe that direct negotiations between the two countries will be more useful and necessary. I think we should continue to move in this direction if, of course, Armenia is also ready for this," he said, speaking at an international conference in the city of Shusha on Wednesday.
Aliyev said that Armenia, now more openly than some of its friends in the West, recognizes Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and it only needs to express that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan as it has already done on paper.
"The Alma-Ata Declaration actually delineated and recognized as administrative and official the borders of the former republics of the USSR. This means that they (Armenians) have already agreed that Karabakh is Azerbaijan. And I recently said that they just need to say the last word. They said "A." Now they should have said "B." They should say what I said, that Karabakh is Azerbaijan. I am waiting for that. I hope that time will come," he said.
Aliyev admitted that there are some sensitive issues in relations with the U.S. concerning the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, but for the rest, "the bilateral agenda is very wide."
Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military illegally occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent regions.
Clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian Army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces, violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements. During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and around 300 settlements and villages that Armenia had occupied for almost 30 years.
The fighting ended with a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, which was seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia. However, the cease-fire has been violated several times since then.
