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RIA Novosti, Russia
Jan 13 2005
MOST OF FOREIGN MERCENARIES KILLED IN CHECHNYA ARE TURKS
WASHINGTON, January 13 (RIA Novosti, Alexei Berezin) - Turkey is a
record-breaker among the nations whose citizens have been killed as
mercenaries operating as part of illegal armed formations in
Chechnya, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told a news
conference at the Russian embassy in Washington.
"I see no major problems in the Russian-Turkish relations, except the
double standards towards the fight against terrorism. I mean Turkey
is a record-breaker in terms of the number of its citizens killed in
Chechnya while operating with Chechen illegal armed formations," the
minister noted.
Minister Ivanov also stressed that the Russian-Turkish relations had
been on the rise, all the more so that Russian President Vladimir
Putin has recently paid a visit to Turkey and a large Turkish
businessman team led by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan
reciprocated as early as in the beginning of this week.
Responding to questions about the Russian-Armenian relations in light
of Russia's links with Turkey, the Russian defense minister noted
that Armenia was a closest Russian ally.
"Our two countries are members of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (along with Armenia and Russia, the members of this
defense organization under the CIS auspices are Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan). There is a large Russian military base in
Armenia. We have very close economic and cultural links," Ivanov
said.
At the same time, he said, "We are not going to push Armenia in any
direction. Armenia is a sovereign nation that will take its own
decision on where it wants to go. This is a principle of ours."
Jan 13 2005
MOST OF FOREIGN MERCENARIES KILLED IN CHECHNYA ARE TURKS
WASHINGTON, January 13 (RIA Novosti, Alexei Berezin) - Turkey is a
record-breaker among the nations whose citizens have been killed as
mercenaries operating as part of illegal armed formations in
Chechnya, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told a news
conference at the Russian embassy in Washington.
"I see no major problems in the Russian-Turkish relations, except the
double standards towards the fight against terrorism. I mean Turkey
is a record-breaker in terms of the number of its citizens killed in
Chechnya while operating with Chechen illegal armed formations," the
minister noted.
Minister Ivanov also stressed that the Russian-Turkish relations had
been on the rise, all the more so that Russian President Vladimir
Putin has recently paid a visit to Turkey and a large Turkish
businessman team led by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan
reciprocated as early as in the beginning of this week.
Responding to questions about the Russian-Armenian relations in light
of Russia's links with Turkey, the Russian defense minister noted
that Armenia was a closest Russian ally.
"Our two countries are members of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (along with Armenia and Russia, the members of this
defense organization under the CIS auspices are Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan). There is a large Russian military base in
Armenia. We have very close economic and cultural links," Ivanov
said.
At the same time, he said, "We are not going to push Armenia in any
direction. Armenia is a sovereign nation that will take its own
decision on where it wants to go. This is a principle of ours."