RELATIONS NOT TO BE RE-ESTABLISHED BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA: CHAIRMAN OF TURKISH PARLIAMENT

Trend News Agency
June 17 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 17 June /corr. Trend News I.Alizade / As long
as Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani territories are not released, the
relations will not be re-established between Turkey and Armenia. "The
Turkish-Armenian relations will not be re-established as long as the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not resolved," Keksal Toptan, Chairman
of Turkish Parliament, said on 17 June in Baku.

Keksal Toptan, Chairman of Turkish Parliament, arrived in Azerbaijan
on 17 June on a three days visit. Toptan met with the Azerbaijani
President, Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister, Artur Rasizade and Chairman
of Parliament, Oktay Asadov. He will also attend the 90th celebration
of Azerbaijan Parliament.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries appeared in 1988
due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenia has
occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani lands including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and its seven surrounding districts. Since 1992 to the present
time, these territories have been under Armenian occupation. In 1994,
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a cease-fire agreement at which time
the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
(Russia, France and USA) are holding peaceful negotiations.

According to Toptan, all over the world, Turkey has always supported
the Nagorno-Karabakh policy of Azerbaijan and this support will
be continued.

Toptan said that Turkey’s policy on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
is clear and concrete. "Turkey’s position and policy on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will not change. At this point, we do not
require other thinking. Simply Azerbaijani territories should be
returned and peace should be re-established. We do not have other
requirements and we do not claim for another’s territories. Requiring
lands belonging to us is our right. I believe that some solution will
be found in the near future," he added.