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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 3 2014
President ErdoÄ?an boosts bilateral ties during visit to Azerbaijan
Turkey's newly elected President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an has stated in
his first official visit to Azerbaijan that it is time for the
implementation of promises given to Turkey's close ally, pointing out
that his delegation will ask for those promises to be implemented
during his visit to the NATO summit to be held in Wales on Sept. 4-5.
`There were promises given to Azerbaijan both at NATO summits and in
other related meetings. We will bring these promises to the agenda
there [at the NATO summit] and ask for them to be implemented by the
countries concerned. It should be done the way the promises are
fulfilled for other countries, step by step,' ErdoÄ?an said in a joint
press conference with Azerbaijani President Ä°lham Aliyev in Baku on
Wednesday.
ErdoÄ?an is paying his first official visit to Azerbaijan, a country
with which Turkey enjoys a close relationship, after being elected as
the 12th president of Turkey. His first official trip abroad was paid
to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) on Monday.
ErdoÄ?an's plane landed in Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, late on
Tuesday. The Turkish president and his wife Emine ErdoÄ?an were
welcomed at Heydar Aliyev International Airport by Azerbaijani Deputy
Prime Minister Yaqub Eyyubov. Having been greeted by high-ranking
officials, ErdoÄ?an and his wife walked past a guard of honor.
An official welcoming ceremony was staged for President ErdoÄ?an by
Azerbaijani President Ä°lham Aliyev in front of the presidential palace
in Baku on Wednesday. During the ceremony, ErdoÄ?an was accompanied by
Turkey's new Foreign Minister Mevlüt ÇavuÅ?oÄ?lu, Defense Minister Ä°smet
Yılmaz and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız.
After a meeting with President Aliyev, ErdoÄ?an later chaired the
Turkish delegation in talks with their Azerbaijani counterparts which
ended with a joint press conference by both leaders.
During the talks, ErdoÄ?an touched on topics such as the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP)
project, the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), the Shah Deniz II project
as well as the current state of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad
project.
Noting that both sides discussed bilateral ties in various fields
including culture, education, foreign affairs and energy issues,
ErdoÄ?an said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict -- which is locked in
deadlock after more than 20 years of Armenian occupation of
Azerbaijani territory -- was the main topic of conversation for both
leaders.
`It is obvious that Nagorno-Karabakh is the most important topic
between our two countries,' ErdoÄ?an said. Reiterating his views on the
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, ErdoÄ?an told journalists
that the conflict should be resolved by respecting the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan.
Nagorno-Karabakh -- an Azerbaijani territory predominantly populated
by ethnic Armenians -- was the subject of a bitter conflict in the
early 1990s when Armenian armed forces occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and
seven Azerbaijani-populated adjacent provinces. Although a cease-fire
was agreed upon, there has been no lasting peace agreement and
diplomatic efforts to find a lasting solution to the conflict under
the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group have so far failed. 20 percent of
Azerbaijani territory is still under Armenian control, despite four UN
resolutions demanding the withdrawal of Armenian forces. After the
start of the conflict, Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993
in solidarity with Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani President Aliyev spoke after ErdoÄ?an at the same press
conference, emphasizing the strength of Turkish-Azerbaijani ethnic,
linguistic and historical ties and mentioned his gratitude to ErdoÄ?an
for his efforts "to support Azerbaijan's just position for a solution
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."
"Turkey has always supported Azerbaijan [over the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict] on all international platforms and so stands by justice and
impartiality," Aliyev said.
During his visit, ErdoÄ?an is scheduled to visit the grave of the late
Azerbaijani leader Heydar Aliyev and the Baku Turkish Martyrs'
Memorial.
http://www.todayszaman.com/_president-erdogan-boosts-bilateral-ties-during-visit-to-azerbaijan_357612.html
Sept 3 2014
President ErdoÄ?an boosts bilateral ties during visit to Azerbaijan
Turkey's newly elected President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an has stated in
his first official visit to Azerbaijan that it is time for the
implementation of promises given to Turkey's close ally, pointing out
that his delegation will ask for those promises to be implemented
during his visit to the NATO summit to be held in Wales on Sept. 4-5.
`There were promises given to Azerbaijan both at NATO summits and in
other related meetings. We will bring these promises to the agenda
there [at the NATO summit] and ask for them to be implemented by the
countries concerned. It should be done the way the promises are
fulfilled for other countries, step by step,' ErdoÄ?an said in a joint
press conference with Azerbaijani President Ä°lham Aliyev in Baku on
Wednesday.
ErdoÄ?an is paying his first official visit to Azerbaijan, a country
with which Turkey enjoys a close relationship, after being elected as
the 12th president of Turkey. His first official trip abroad was paid
to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) on Monday.
ErdoÄ?an's plane landed in Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, late on
Tuesday. The Turkish president and his wife Emine ErdoÄ?an were
welcomed at Heydar Aliyev International Airport by Azerbaijani Deputy
Prime Minister Yaqub Eyyubov. Having been greeted by high-ranking
officials, ErdoÄ?an and his wife walked past a guard of honor.
An official welcoming ceremony was staged for President ErdoÄ?an by
Azerbaijani President Ä°lham Aliyev in front of the presidential palace
in Baku on Wednesday. During the ceremony, ErdoÄ?an was accompanied by
Turkey's new Foreign Minister Mevlüt ÇavuÅ?oÄ?lu, Defense Minister Ä°smet
Yılmaz and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız.
After a meeting with President Aliyev, ErdoÄ?an later chaired the
Turkish delegation in talks with their Azerbaijani counterparts which
ended with a joint press conference by both leaders.
During the talks, ErdoÄ?an touched on topics such as the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP)
project, the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), the Shah Deniz II project
as well as the current state of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad
project.
Noting that both sides discussed bilateral ties in various fields
including culture, education, foreign affairs and energy issues,
ErdoÄ?an said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict -- which is locked in
deadlock after more than 20 years of Armenian occupation of
Azerbaijani territory -- was the main topic of conversation for both
leaders.
`It is obvious that Nagorno-Karabakh is the most important topic
between our two countries,' ErdoÄ?an said. Reiterating his views on the
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, ErdoÄ?an told journalists
that the conflict should be resolved by respecting the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan.
Nagorno-Karabakh -- an Azerbaijani territory predominantly populated
by ethnic Armenians -- was the subject of a bitter conflict in the
early 1990s when Armenian armed forces occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and
seven Azerbaijani-populated adjacent provinces. Although a cease-fire
was agreed upon, there has been no lasting peace agreement and
diplomatic efforts to find a lasting solution to the conflict under
the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group have so far failed. 20 percent of
Azerbaijani territory is still under Armenian control, despite four UN
resolutions demanding the withdrawal of Armenian forces. After the
start of the conflict, Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993
in solidarity with Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani President Aliyev spoke after ErdoÄ?an at the same press
conference, emphasizing the strength of Turkish-Azerbaijani ethnic,
linguistic and historical ties and mentioned his gratitude to ErdoÄ?an
for his efforts "to support Azerbaijan's just position for a solution
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."
"Turkey has always supported Azerbaijan [over the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict] on all international platforms and so stands by justice and
impartiality," Aliyev said.
During his visit, ErdoÄ?an is scheduled to visit the grave of the late
Azerbaijani leader Heydar Aliyev and the Baku Turkish Martyrs'
Memorial.
http://www.todayszaman.com/_president-erdogan-boosts-bilateral-ties-during-visit-to-azerbaijan_357612.html