TURKISH CYPRIOT EX-LEADER THANKS AZERBAIJAN FOR FRIENDSHIP

Lider TV, Baku
29 Aug 05

A delegation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus led by [former
president] Rauf Denktas and [deputy prime minister] Serdar Denktas
is visiting Azerbaijan. They have visited the Martyrs’ Avenue and
the Avenue of Honour.

It is wrong to compare the Nagornyy Karabakh problem with the Northern
Cyprus issue. According to the author of this statement and the former
president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Rauf Denktas,
Greece entered Cyprus in 1963 in order to occupy the land of the two
peoples. Eleven years later, Turkey came and saved us from the yoke.

If the fraternal country [Turkey] had helped and liberated your
land when Karabakh was being occupied, nobody could have called it
an occupier. True, Greece wants to exert influence on Azerbaijan to
prevent it from establishing ties with Northern Cyprus, but Azerbaijan
has embraced us without listening to them. We thank you for this.