Obama urges Turkish, Armenian FMs to complete normalization talks

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

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Obama delivered his message personally to Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian when he met them at a reception in Istanbul for guests attending an international forum promoting understanding between the Western and Islamic worlds.       

"On the margins of tonight's Alliance of Civilizations dinner, the president met the foreign ministers of Turkey, Armenia and Switzerland to commend their efforts toward Turkish-Armenian normalization and to urge them to complete an agreement with dispatch," a senior U.S. official was quoted by Reuters as telling reporters in Istanbul.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations, and their border has been closed for more than a decade over Armenia's invasion of territory that accounts for 20 percent of Azerbaijan – a frozen conflict legacy of the Soviet Union called Nagorno-Karabakh.

But both countries have been engaged in a normalization process, including the reopening of the border, since Turkish President Abdullah Gul paid a landmark visit to Yerevan last year to watch a World Cup qualifying football match between the countries’ national teams. 

Obama said earlier on Monday his views on the 1915 incidents remain unchanged but that he was encouraged by the ongoing dialogue between Turkey and Armenia.

Armenia's attempts, with the backing of the diaspora, to have the international community admit its claims regarding the 1915 incidents instead of accepting Turkey's call to investigate the allegations are other disputed topics between the neighboring countries.