TURKEY SENDS NOTE TO AZERBAIJAN
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 26 2006
Turkey Foreign Ministry send note to Azerbaijan twice, APA Turkey
bureau reports. The notes covers the incident happened on December 19,
that is Sertab Erener and Armenian-born pianist Burak Bedikyan were
not allowed to Azerbaijan and send back.
Turkey FM appealed to Azerbaijan FM and Azerbaijani Embassy in
Ankara and asked to give information about the incident. Azerbaijani
Ambassador to Turkey Zakir Hashimov in his statement to the APA denied
the notes given by Turkey FM. The ambassador said if something like
this had happened, first I would know about it. The counsellor of
Azerbaijani Embassy Jeyhun Mamadov said that Bedikyan did not appeal
to the embassy to get visa. According to his words, Azerbaijani side
did it because there could be many Azerbaijanis in the concert hall
that lost his relatives in Karabakh war and in this case it would be
difficult to ensure Armenian musician’s security.
Mammadov noted that this event will not negatively affect Turkey
-Azerbaijani relations and Azerbaijani side will express its attitude
to the case tomorrow.
Azerbaijani FM did not take a stance on the fact.
It should be noted that Sertab Erener and Berdikyan arrived in
Azerbaijan on December 19 to take part in 10th anniversary of
Azercel. But they were deported from the airport.