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Journal of Turkish Weekly
Feb 23 2013
Turkey's message to Sargysan irks Azeris
23 February 2013
A note of congratulations sent by President Abdullah Gül to his
Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sargsyan, over his successful re-election
has angered a number of Azeri parties.
`This hurt us. But it should not be exaggerated. International
organizations are keeping silence over the presidential elections in
Armenia. Armenia's population is less than 2 million, but 2,500,000
people have been registered,' Parliamentary Speaker Ogtay Asadov said
Feb. 22 during a debate in Parliament.
Gül sent a message of congratulations to Sargsyan after he was
re-elected to a second five-year mandate.
The deputy executive secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party, Mubariz
Gurbanli, also said Gül's note of felicitations was unacceptable.
`We didn't expect this. Therefore, we have expressed such an
attitude,' Azeri news agency APA quoted him as saying.
Another lawmaker, Fazil Mustafa, said that although the Turkish
president's immediate message raised concerns, it was not a reason to
transform the matter into a bigger issue.
Musavat Party Central Executive Board member Arif Hajili also
criticized Gül. `Turkish President Abdullah Gül's sending of
congratulations before the official announcement of the results is the
wrong step. This is the continuation of Turkey's zero-problem policy
with the neighboring states. But actually this policy failed. With
this policy, Turkey's relations with most of the states in the region
have become tense.
Moreover, the Turkish president's congratulations to Sargsyan
contradict the interests of Azerbaijan. At a time when the
international community is expressing views that an illegitimate
government exists in Armenia, the Turkish government sealed the
legitimacy of the Armenian leadership. This is wrong and causes
regret,' he said.
The chairman of the United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, Gudrat
Hasanguliyev, also expressed his regret at Gül's act.
`If someone thinks that Armenia and Armenians will give up the
so-called genocide and territorial claims thanks to these steps, they
are mistaken,' Hasanguliyev said, adding that phone calls,
congratulations and other steps would not achieve results just like
what he declared to be the failed `football diplomacy' of 2008 and
2009, the Zurich protocols and work and residence permits for illegal
Armenian migrants in Turkey.
23 February 2013
Feb 23 2013
Turkey's message to Sargysan irks Azeris
23 February 2013
A note of congratulations sent by President Abdullah Gül to his
Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sargsyan, over his successful re-election
has angered a number of Azeri parties.
`This hurt us. But it should not be exaggerated. International
organizations are keeping silence over the presidential elections in
Armenia. Armenia's population is less than 2 million, but 2,500,000
people have been registered,' Parliamentary Speaker Ogtay Asadov said
Feb. 22 during a debate in Parliament.
Gül sent a message of congratulations to Sargsyan after he was
re-elected to a second five-year mandate.
The deputy executive secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party, Mubariz
Gurbanli, also said Gül's note of felicitations was unacceptable.
`We didn't expect this. Therefore, we have expressed such an
attitude,' Azeri news agency APA quoted him as saying.
Another lawmaker, Fazil Mustafa, said that although the Turkish
president's immediate message raised concerns, it was not a reason to
transform the matter into a bigger issue.
Musavat Party Central Executive Board member Arif Hajili also
criticized Gül. `Turkish President Abdullah Gül's sending of
congratulations before the official announcement of the results is the
wrong step. This is the continuation of Turkey's zero-problem policy
with the neighboring states. But actually this policy failed. With
this policy, Turkey's relations with most of the states in the region
have become tense.
Moreover, the Turkish president's congratulations to Sargsyan
contradict the interests of Azerbaijan. At a time when the
international community is expressing views that an illegitimate
government exists in Armenia, the Turkish government sealed the
legitimacy of the Armenian leadership. This is wrong and causes
regret,' he said.
The chairman of the United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, Gudrat
Hasanguliyev, also expressed his regret at Gül's act.
`If someone thinks that Armenia and Armenians will give up the
so-called genocide and territorial claims thanks to these steps, they
are mistaken,' Hasanguliyev said, adding that phone calls,
congratulations and other steps would not achieve results just like
what he declared to be the failed `football diplomacy' of 2008 and
2009, the Zurich protocols and work and residence permits for illegal
Armenian migrants in Turkey.
23 February 2013