President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said that the 2020 War created the opportunity for Ankara to pursue normalization of relations with Yerevan, adding that his country advancing the process with “honesty.”
“With the liberation of Azerbaijan’s occupied territories, an opportunity for peace in the region has been created,” said Erdogan. “We are advancing normalization with our neighboring Armenian honestly, in order for that opportunity to not be wasted.”
He made the announcement at a traditional Iftar dinner attended by Archbishop Sahag Mashalian the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul, reported the Jamanak newspaper.
In his remarks, Erdogan discussed Turkey’s posturing around critical international issues, as well as Ankara’s foreign policy priorities. He also spoke about efforts to normalize relations with Armenia.
The event, which is a daily ritual during Ramadan, was organized for leaders of diplomatic missions in Turkey. The religious leaders of Turkey’s minority communities were also invited to the Iftar. Also attending the event was Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Erdogan greeted the Armenian Patriarch and welcome his presence at the event, according to Jamanak. During the event, Mashalian had conversations with Cavusoglu, as well as the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) co-chair Efkan Alla.
Joining Mashalian at his table was AKP’s Central Executive Board member Dr. Sevan Svacoglu.
