“Armenia has never discussed Nagorno-Karabakh issue with Turkey,” said RA Foreign Office Press Secretary Tigran Balayan.

Commenting on Oct. 21 statement by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu during Protocols’ discussion in Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Balayan stated: “We launched Armenia-Turkey normalization process realizing that the parties should go ahead without preconditions. The talks and elaboration of the Protocols signed in Zurich, Oct. 10 were initiated with this intention. Consequently, the parties will henceforth guided by the Protocols’ provisions, containing no preconditions.”

October 21, 2009 Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated that “Nagorno-Karabakh status quo is not in fraternal Azerbaijan’s interests, as Azerbaijani lands are under the occupation for years. Status quo meets neither Turkey’s nor Armenia’s interests. Azerbaijani territorial integrity is as sacred as Turkish one. There is no single state making as muсh efforts as Turkey does in this

direction. We spoke of the matter both to U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. I also discussed the issue with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before the signing ceremony. We will do utmost to settle Karabakh conflict. There are many preconditions in Oct. 10 signed Armenia-Turkey Protocols, like recognition of the Turkey-Armenia border, that is to be done according to the international norms. Nobody will even dare to lay territorial claims on Turkey. Treaty of Sevres cannot reappear on the agenda. The sub-commission foreseen by the Protocols will commence its activities within this framework.”