Turkish pundit: Armenian constitutional сhanges could lead to regional peace Photo

Changes to Armenia’s constitution could open the door to lasting peace with Azerbaijan and improved ties with Türkiye, Turkish expert Hakkı Ojal wrote in the newspaper Milliyet.

The author of the article points out that the mere fact that thousands of people were killed and injured by mines laid by Armenians during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories is “sufficient to warrant an extremely cautious approach towards Armenia," Caliber.Az reports via local media. 

“I have not even mentioned the Azerbaijanis who became martyrs during the two Karabakh wars,” Ojal notes, while stressing that recent developments give the region hope for long-term stability and the potential for Armenia to emerge “from a period of economic backwardness.”

The expert emphasised that the adoption of the new Basic Law in Armenia, which “sets out the framework for peaceful development, the rejection of revanchism and territorial claims,” will be crucial to achieving the peace agreement ratified last August at the White House.

"Only then will it be possible to finally achieve the peace agreement ratified last August at the White House. This has been unequivocally stated by representatives of Azerbaijan and President Ilham Aliyev himself at every stage of the peace talks. We shall see whether Armenian voters will help to open this ‘door’,” the author concludes. 

Ojal also highlighted the severe economic challenges Armenia faces, including a shortage of natural resources, poor transport infrastructure, and low levels of foreign investment. Improved regional relations, he said, would allow the implementation of the Zangezur Corridor project, connecting Türkiye directly to Azerbaijan and providing Armenia with access to new, investment-rich markets.

By Sabina Mammadli