Azerbaijan: Visiting Turkish minister confirms stance on Armenian border

ANS TV, Baku
8 Jul 04

Presenter Turkish Minister of Environment and Forestry Osman Pepe is
visiting Baku. Today he and the ministry representatives went to the
Milli Maclis parliament .

Correspondent Parliament Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov today met Turkish
Minister of Environment and Forestry Osman Pepe and the delegation he
leads. Although the speaker spoke about forestry and national parks,
he focused his attention on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

Alasgarov said that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan should be
restored and that the world countries should recognize Armenia as an
aggressor state.

Alasgarov, speaking at the meeting, captioned Turkey has repeatedly
declared that Turkey will not establish any relations with Armenia
until Azerbaijan’s occupied territories are liberated. This is a great
assessment for us. I think that Turkey will remain adherent to this
and will constantly back our position. Although talks which are being
carried out at various levels have not yielded results yet, we are
trying to have the problem resolved as soon as possible.

Correspondent Turkish Minister of Environment and Forestry Osman Pepe
said that Ankara officials will not open the border with Armenia until
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is resolved.

Afat Telmanqizi and Azar Qarayev, ANS.

Video shows the meeting