Nikol

Türkiye has hailed a deal between arch-foes Armenia and Azerbaijan to swap prisoners of war and work toward normalizing ties torn by decades of strife over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Azerbaijan reclaimed the long-disputed enclave after a lightning offensive against Armenian separatists in September.

Ankara and Moscow are working to determine the date for a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Turkey where discussions will also focus on tensions in eastern Ukraine, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavuşoğlu said on Jan. 27, pointing out the aftermath of the Russian leader's participation in the Beijing Olympics.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Dec. 10 his country could open its borders to Armenia, if Yerevan takes steps toward regional peace.

Speaking at a joint news conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Baku, Erdoğan said they had no issues with the Armenian people.