The New Anatolian, Turkey
March 9 2007
Turkish PM Erdogan leaves for Turkish diaspora meeting
Friday , 09 March 2007
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to leave for
Azerbaijan today to attend the "First Forum of World Azerbaijani and
Turkish Diaspora Organizations," which is to be held tomorrow.
The forum aims at forms and methods of cooperation of Turkish and
Azeri communities in Europe, the U.S. and Canada, Asia and Australia,
and Central and South America and also to note the main directions of
cooperation between Turkish diaspora groups.
State Committee for Azerbaijanis Living Abroad head Nazim Ibrahimov
told a press conference that a joint statement on Armenia’s
aggression against Azerbaijan and Armenians’ terror and genocide acts
against Azerbaijanis, as well as protests of countries recognizing
the false Armenian genocide allegations, are to be adopted in the
forum.
The forum also aims to discuss the Cyprus problem and the situation
of the Turkmens in northern Iraq. A Baku declaration is to be adopted
at the end of the forum.
Ibrahimov stated that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat will participate in the
forum.
Erdogan is to deliver the second opening speech after Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev at the forum. He is also expected to hold
several bilateral meetings during his stay in Baku.
Deep-rooted ties
"The world feels jealous of Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s sharing both
the grief and the happiness," Erdogan told the Azeri Press Agency
before his visit to Azerbaijan.
Asked to comment on the relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan, he
said that relations are growing in all spheres on the basis of
deep-rooted cultural brotherhood.
"One of the architects of these relations, the great leader Haydar
Aliyev, said Azerbaijan and Turkey are one nation in two independent
states. This slogan came true," Erdogan said.
Underlining that Azerbaijan’s energy wealth, fast developing economy,
and reforms for democracy and human rights are elevating it to its
deserved place, Erdogan said that implementation of
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum projects
shoulder-to-shoulder with Turkey’s’s brother Azerbaijan and neighbor
Georgia will be followed by the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad project.
Asked about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Erdogan said that Turkey
will not forsake this cause, adding "Turkey supports ending the
occupation, which is in violation of international law. With its
potential, Turkey is giving all possible support for Azerbaijan in
its fair fight."
Erdogan went on to say that if Armenia gives up its current policy
and takes a friendly stance, it will take a significant step toward
the normalization of relations with Turkey.
"It seems to me, this move would lead to the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and improving relations between Azerbaijan
and Armenia," Erdogan told the agency.
Stating that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipelines
and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars-Akhalkalaki railway project are building a
strategic bridge between Central Asia’s Turkic Republics, Azerbaijan
and Turkey, Erdogan said, "I have no doubt that all sides will show
the political will to develop relations on the basis of respect,
equality and mutual advantage."