TURKEY NOT TO RECOGNIZE AZERI KARABAKH "REFERENDUM"

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Dec 11 2006

Ankara, 11 December: Turkey has announced that it will not recognize
the results of the referendum held yesterday in Upper Karabakh,
a province of Azerbaijan under Armenian occupation.

A statement by Turkish MFA [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] indicated that
"international laws were ignored" in yesterday’s referendum held for
adoption of the "Upper Karabakh Republic’s Constitution".

"At the end of the referendum, the Upper Karabakh region of Azerbaijan
was defined as the ‘Upper Karabakh Republic’ and as a ‘sovereign,
democratic, legitimate, social state’," the statement noted.

The statement also pointed out that Turkey considers this vote as
"a proof of the Armenian occupation of the Azerbaijani territory
which is against international laws."

In the statement, the MFA condemns this act which is a new violation
of Azerbaijan’s political unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity
by Armenia.

Noting that more than one million Azerbaijani have become refugees
in their own country due to the invasion, the statement said, "it is
obvious that this move to hold a ‘constitutional referendum’ in the
Upper Karabakh region is one that ignores efforts to find a peaceful
solution (to the problem)."

The Turkish MFA also called on the international community to condemn,
and not to recognize the results of the so-called referendum.