Türkiye welcomes OSCE decision to dissolve Minsk Group

ANKARA

Türkiye on Tuesday welcomed the decision by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to dissolve the Minsk Group, a body established over three decades ago to mediate the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Karabakh region.

“We welcome the decision taken by the OSCE Ministerial Council on Sept. 1, 2025, regarding the dissolution of the Minsk Group and its affiliated structures,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“This historic decision, made possible through the joint efforts of the two countries, constitutes one of the significant milestones in the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia,” the statement added.

The Minsk Group was established in 1992 to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the Karabakh conflict and had Russia, the US, and France serving as co-chairs, but it failed to produce a lasting settlement. Azerbaijan had long called for the group's dissolution, making it a precondition for advancing toward a formal peace deal with Armenia.

The decision to disband the group followed a summit held at the White House on Aug. 8, hosted by US President Donald Trump, during which Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held talks. Subsequently, the foreign ministers of both countries submitted a joint request to the OSCE to dissolve the group.

Türkiye has consistently backed Azerbaijan in the conflict and framed the dissolution as a step towards creating sustainable peace in the South Caucasus.