Peter Semneby: Turkey has slowed down

Peter Semneby has stated that Turkey has taken a step backwards in its attempts to normalise relations with Armenia, but this is not a fundamental positional change and it will not last long.

Semneby thinks that normalising the situation with Armenia has become an issue of serious discussion in Turkey. Semneby highlighted the importance of the conflict in Karabakh in this matter, as Turkey has recently connected the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border with Armenia leaving Azeri territory.

In Armenia some are suggesting that Armenian President Sarkisian should refuse to visit Turkey in October if there is no substantial progress on reopening the Turkish-Armenian border. Armenian politicians and analysts are not happy that Turkey has connected the opening of the border with the Karabakh issue as they say this action contravenes the terms of the road map agreed by Turkey, Armenia and Switzerland last year.