Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Oct 12 2007

Turkey condemns local elections in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave

Ankara, 12 October: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said
that holding local elections in Upper Karabakh, which was occupied by
Armenia, on 14 October symbolizes an attempt ignoring all efforts to
provide a peaceful and lasting solution.

The ministry said in a statement, "we learnt that local elections
will be held in Upper Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, which has been
occupied by Armenia, on 14 October by ignoring international law and
expectations of the international community following the so-called
presidential election on 19 July. It is evident that these elections,
which are considered parts of efforts to unilaterally legitimate the
illegal situation in Upper Karabakh, will mean violation of
international laws, decisions of the UN Security Council and
principles of the Council of Europe (COE) and the Organization of
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)."

"Holding local elections in Upper Karabakh on 14 October symbolizes
an attempt ignoring all efforts to provide a peaceful and lasting
solution and ongoing negotiations under the OSCE Minsk Process to
resolve Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute. Turkey condemns such an attempt
violating political unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan, and calls on the international community not to recognize
results of this unbinding local elections," the Ministry said.