Turan News Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 19 2007

Azeri opposition MPs urge support for Turkey’s Iraq operation

Baku, 19 October: At today’s session of parliament, numerous
opposition MPs came up with a proposal concerning the decision of the
US Congress [House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee] to
recognize the Armenian genocide and Turkey’s actions against the PKK
[Kurdistan Workers’ Party] separatists.

[Chairman of the opposition Hope Party] Iqbal Agazada said that the
Azerbaijani parliament should recognize the PKK as a terrorist
organization. According to him, if Turkey carries out a military
operation against separatists in northern Iraq, then the Azerbaijani
military should take part in it

[Chairman of the opposition of the Great Creation Party] Fazil
Qazanfaroglu urged the parliament to condemn the decision of the US
Congress committee and send an official protest note to Washington.
MP Aydin Mirzazada from the ruling [New Azerbaijan] party expressed a
similar opinion. He said that the recognition of the Armenian
genocide in Ottoman Turkey may be followed by other decisions which
will have an impact on Azerbaijan’s interests. Baku should show
solidarity with Ankara and recall its ambassador for consultations.

In response, Speaker Oqtay Asadov said that the proposals that were
made resemble "slogans". The proposals to "declare war on Iraq sound
superficial" and it is necessary to act competently and in a
well-thought out manner. It is necessary to work with Congress and
congressmen to persuade them that the decision they have adopted is a
mistake, the speaker said.

Finally, the proposals to send a protest note to Washington and
recognize the PKK as a terrorist organization were not adopted.