Türkiye pushes for legislative change in Armenia to cement peace with Azerbaijan

Türkiye's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has issued a statement regarding the completion of negotiations on the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

AKP spokesperson Ömer Çelik hailed the achievement as a significant step forward in the quest for peace in the Caucasus region, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

Çelik noted that while there had been disagreements between the two parties on two key issues, Azerbaijan and Armenia have now reached an agreement on nearly all points of the peace treaty. This progress, he emphasized, marks an important phase in the ongoing efforts to establish lasting peace in the region.

However, Çelik also made it clear that Armenia must take further steps to ensure peace is fully achieved. He called on Armenia to amend its legislative framework, particularly its constitution, which he argued contains provisions that are detrimental to Azerbaijan's interests.

The announcement follows a statement from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 13, confirming the completion of peace treaty negotiations with Armenia. Both countries are now expected to move forward with formalizing the terms of the agreement, with Türkiye expressing its support for the ongoing peace process.

The AKP spokesperson also announced Türkiye’s plans to accelerate the normalization of relations with Armenia once specific conditions outlined by Azerbaijan are met, including amendments to Armenia's constitution and the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Çelik highlighted the importance of these conditions for the future of bilateral relations. He emphasized that the official dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, which has long been involved in the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, is a key element of the process. He argued that the Minsk Group "no longer exists in practice" and had failed to contribute meaningfully to the conflict's resolution.

This announcement comes as Azerbaijan and Armenia continue their efforts to solidify the peace agreement reached between the two countries. Türkiye's support for the peace process remains contingent on Armenia's constitutional reforms and the removal of the Minsk Group, reflecting Ankara's close alignment with Azerbaijan on key diplomatic issues in the region.

The normalization of relations between Türkiye and Armenia is viewed as a crucial step toward regional stability. However, Türkiye has made it clear that further progress depends on Armenia fulfilling these conditions, which it sees as essential to ensuring lasting peace and cooperation in the South Caucasus.

By Vafa Guliyeva