Tweet
Erdogan `sends gentle message' to Azerbaijan over Karabakh
12:11 - 08.05.11
The Turkish prime minister's recent speech in Turkey's eastern region
of Igdir that stressed Azerbaijan's importance for Turkey was warmly
welcomed in Azerbaijan, Turkish daily Today's Zaman reported.
It also reinforced the trust and understanding between the two
brotherly nations, Azerbaijani experts say.
`Such statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
explicitly show Turkey's position towards Azerbaijan so that
Azerbaijan knows it is much more important to Turkey than Armenia,'
Cavid Veliev, a regional expert at the Strategic Research Center based
in Baku, said in an interview with Zaman.
Speaking at a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) election rally
at the city of Igdir's Belediye Square on April 30 as a part of his
election campaign, Erdogan referred to Turkey's relations with Armenia
and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in front of a throng of local
residents.
He said straightening out Turkish-Armenian relations is not as
important as settling the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; without the
settlement of this conflict, the normalization process between Armenia
and Turkey is impossible.
`I am putting this issue plainly once more here in Igdir: without any
breakthrough in the Nagorno-Karabakh stalemate, our relations with
Armenia cannot get back on track,' Erdogan said.
Talking to the paper, Elkhan Sahinoglu, the head of Baku-based Atlas
Research Center, said Erdogan's saying that the security of
Nakhichevan and Nagorno-Karabakh is as important as the security of
Turkey and that Turkey backs Azerbaijan are very important messages
for the international community, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Erdogan once more mentioned Turkey's steadfast stand - that without
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, Turkey will neither
open the borders nor establish diplomatic relations with Armenia.
In addition, Erdogan also said Armenia should understand that if
Azerbaijan is threatened, Yerevan will find Turkey standing alongside
Azerbaijan. Saying Turkey sent a gentle message to Azerbaijan,
Sahinoglu added, `Ankara is loyal to the alliance with its brother
state.'
Normalization efforts between Ankara and Yerevan had shaken
Turkish-Azerbaijani friendship for a short period after Turkey signed
the Zurich protocols with Armenia in October 2009, an agreement to
establish diplomatic relations between the countries.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993, after the
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Tert.am
From: A. Papazian
12:11 - 08.05.11
The Turkish prime minister's recent speech in Turkey's eastern region
of Igdir that stressed Azerbaijan's importance for Turkey was warmly
welcomed in Azerbaijan, Turkish daily Today's Zaman reported.
It also reinforced the trust and understanding between the two
brotherly nations, Azerbaijani experts say.
`Such statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
explicitly show Turkey's position towards Azerbaijan so that
Azerbaijan knows it is much more important to Turkey than Armenia,'
Cavid Veliev, a regional expert at the Strategic Research Center based
in Baku, said in an interview with Zaman.
Speaking at a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) election rally
at the city of Igdir's Belediye Square on April 30 as a part of his
election campaign, Erdogan referred to Turkey's relations with Armenia
and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in front of a throng of local
residents.
He said straightening out Turkish-Armenian relations is not as
important as settling the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; without the
settlement of this conflict, the normalization process between Armenia
and Turkey is impossible.
`I am putting this issue plainly once more here in Igdir: without any
breakthrough in the Nagorno-Karabakh stalemate, our relations with
Armenia cannot get back on track,' Erdogan said.
Talking to the paper, Elkhan Sahinoglu, the head of Baku-based Atlas
Research Center, said Erdogan's saying that the security of
Nakhichevan and Nagorno-Karabakh is as important as the security of
Turkey and that Turkey backs Azerbaijan are very important messages
for the international community, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Erdogan once more mentioned Turkey's steadfast stand - that without
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, Turkey will neither
open the borders nor establish diplomatic relations with Armenia.
In addition, Erdogan also said Armenia should understand that if
Azerbaijan is threatened, Yerevan will find Turkey standing alongside
Azerbaijan. Saying Turkey sent a gentle message to Azerbaijan,
Sahinoglu added, `Ankara is loyal to the alliance with its brother
state.'
Normalization efforts between Ankara and Yerevan had shaken
Turkish-Azerbaijani friendship for a short period after Turkey signed
the Zurich protocols with Armenia in October 2009, an agreement to
establish diplomatic relations between the countries.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993, after the
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Tert.am
From: A. Papazian