Having good relations with Armenia was important for Turkey, former Turkish FM said.

Former Foreign Minister Ilter Turkmen touched upon Turkey’s foreign policy in an in-depth interview with Today’s Zaman.

“Having good relations with Armenia was important for Turkey as it would have to a certain extent reduced the zeal of Yerevan regarding the propaganda campaign against Turkey. Turkey would have been also able to play a more active role on the search for a solution to the Karabakh problem,” he said.

The diplomat noted that even though good steps were taken in regards to Armenia, efforts failed.

As regards Turkey’s regional policy, Turkmen noted that there have been some grave mistakes such as not being in good terms with Israel. However, he believes the most important problem that Ankara needs to solve is the Kurdish issue.

“Turkey cannot be perceived as a strong country as long as its Kurdish problem persists,” he emphasized.