Türkiye opposes Armenia, EU, US trilateral meeting without Azerbaijan

ANKARA

Türkiye opposed a trilateral meeting between Armenia, the United States, and the European Union scheduled for Friday in Brussels, saying Azerbaijan's absence would undermine the neutral approach to the region's complex problems and could fuel geopolitical conflict.

"It is our responsibility to underline clearly that the trilateral meeting between Armenia, the EU, and the U.S. on April 5 will undermine the neutral approach that should be the basis for the solution of the complex problems of the region," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"This initiative, which excludes Azerbaijan, will pave the way for the South Caucasus to become an area of geopolitical confrontation rather than serving peace," the statement said.

The ministry reiterated its call for third-party nations to consider regional factors and engage conflicting parties in an impartial manner.

According to the ministry, Azerbaijan's liberation of its occupied territories following the Second Karabakh War, followed by the restoration of sovereignty over all of its lands through the anti-terrorist operation on Sept. 19–20, 2023, has presented a "historic opportunity" for long-term peace and stability in the region.

"At a time when the success of this historic opportunity is so close, it is even more important that third parties, especially actors from outside the region, adopt a fair and impartial approach to the process and carefully avoid any harm to it," the statement said.

The statement emphasized Türkiye's commitment to carrying out its responsibilities for peace and encouraged the use of this "historic window of opportunity" for long-term peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Azerbaijan sent troops to Karabakh on Sept. 19, and after just one day of fighting, Armenian separatist forces that had controlled the disputed region for three decades laid down their arms.

Azerbaijan's victory marked the end of the territorial dispute, which had long been seen as unresolvable and which led to two wars—in 2020 and the 1990s—that claimed tens of thousands of lives from both sides.