Azeri diplomat denies Turkish reports on Karabakh settlement

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
13 May 05

[Presenter] The Armenian foreign ministry has refused to comment on
the recent Turkish reports saying that Armenia will withdraw from
Azerbaijan’s five occupied districts soon. The Azerbaijani president’s
personal representative [on the Nagornyy Karabakh problem and Deputy
Foreign Minister] Araz Azimov has strongly criticized the reports. Mr
Azimov described them as an attempt to speculate on the Nagornyy
Karabakh problem.

[Correspondent] The number of the elements identified during the
Prague process has reached nine, Azimov said. He said that a complete
withdrawal of the occupation forces from [the Azerbaijani] territories
was noted in those elements. So, Mr Azimov dismissed as groundless the
Turkish reports about the existence of the 5+1+1 formula [which
envisages the withdrawal of the Armenian troops from the occupied
districts].

Azimov said those disseminating these reports in Turkey are trying to
create an appropriate political climate for facilitating the process
of opening the Turkish-Armenian border. The game is being played in
the media. But the reports are not true, end of quote.

Azimov said Armenians are ready to withdraw from Agdam, Fuzuli,
Cabrayil, Qubadli and Zangilan Districts. But Baku insists that they
withdraw from all the occupied districts.

Some circles in Turkey want Azerbaijan to agree to any option. By
doing this, they want to facilitate the process of opening the border
with Armenia, end of quote.