KARS PARLIAMENTARIAN ZEKI KARABAYIR: "AZERBAIJANI NATION SHOULD KNOW
THAT TURKEY WILL NOT ACT AGAINST ITS CONCERNS"

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 2 2006

"Opening of Turkey-Armenia border is not work of Gars municipality
head, government, even state." This statement was given to Turkey
bureau of APA by AKP Gars parliamentarian Zeki Karabayir.

Expressing attitude to the opinion of Naif Alibayoglu "Turkey should
open borders with Armenia", Gars municipality head said that Armenia
has not followed the rules pursued against it. "Armenia has not
withdrawn from their claim that means that it has not freed the
territories occupied. Besides it, through Diaspora it made impact
on Turkey for recognizing alleged "Armenian genocide". Opening of
the borders is significant composition of government and even state
policy. This is not the work within responsibility of municipality
head." Zeki Karabayir added: "How much can Armenia with 3,5 mln
population impact on foreign trade turnover of Turkey … As concerns
the opinion of Turkey’s losing Russia market , it is not true. Our
trade turnover with Russia increases year after year without Armenia.
For example, in 2005, trade turnover between Turkey and Russia was
16 milliard dollars, increase of this figure is considered to be 25
milliard dollars in 2008. Azerbaijani nation should know that the
state of Turkey will not act against concerns of Turkey."/APA/