 candidate for next presidential election, has called Turkey’s absence from a recent US-brokered peace declaration between Azerbaijan and Armenia “a serious weakness for Turkish diplomacy.”){kind=link}
Jailed İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate for next presidential election, has called Turkey’s absence from a recent US-brokered peace declaration between Azerbaijan and Armenia “a serious weakness for Turkish diplomacy.”
In a statement shared by his presidential campaign on X, İmamoğlu described the August 8 agreement signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as “a historic opportunity” to resolve a decades-old conflict that has killed thousands. He criticized the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for not being part of what he called a critical peace process, noting Ankara’s past military and political support for Baku during the Karabakh wars.
Turkey has long positioned itself as a key player in the South Caucasus, backing Azerbaijan in its disputes with Armenia. It was absent from the Washington talks, mediated by US President Donald Trump, which was a rare exclusion from high-level negotiations on the region’s future.
İmamoğlu urged Ankara to join the process, saying normalization with Armenia and joint infrastructure and transportation projects should be part of a comprehensive peace strategy. “Lasting stability in the South Caucasus can only be achieved through an inclusive vision,” he said.
The agreement commits Azerbaijan and Armenia to recognizing each other’s borders, enhancing economic and transportation links, renouncing the use of force and allowing unhindered transport between Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory. It also launches the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), a 99-year renewable infrastructure project to be developed and managed by US companies, potentially carrying road, rail and energy pipelines.
The two countries have fought repeatedly over Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. In the 2020 Second Karabakh War, Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, retook most of the territory. A 2023 Azerbaijani offensive secured full control of the region, prompting the exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians.
President Erdoğan congratulated Azerbaijani President Aliyev for his role in the peace process during a phone call on August 9, while the Turkish Foreign Ministry described the declaration as “a historic opportunity” for peace in the South Caucasus, saying the political will shown in Washington comes “at a time when global conflicts are escalating.” Ankara also thanked the US for its mediation.
İmamoğlu was arrested in March on corruption charges widely seen as politically motivated. A day before his arrest, İstanbul University revoked his 31-year-old diploma, effectively barring him from running for office. Seen as the most powerful political rival of President Erdoğan, he leads the president in all major polls ahead of a possible snap election. The CHP is Turkey’s main opposition party, and İstanbul, the country’s biggest city, is considered a political springboard to the presidency.
Turkey is scheduled to hold the next presidential election in 2028.