TURKISH PRESIDENT’S VISIT TO ARMENIA CAUSES DISSATISFACTION IN AZERBAIJANI-TURKISH INTER-PARLIAMENTARY WORKING GROUP
Trend News Agency
Sept 3 2008
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, Baku, 3 September/Trend News, corr. J.Babayeva /
Azerbaijani-Turkish Inter-Parliamentary Working Group discusses the
issue of Turkish President Abdulla Gul’s visit to Armenia.
"During discussions, there are sharp opposers and supporters of
Turkish President’s visit to Armenia," the Head of the Working Group,
MP Nizami Jafarov, told TrendNews on 3 September.
The President of Armenia, Serj Sarkisyan, invited Abdulla Gul to the
match of the Turkish and Armenian national football teams which will
take place on 6 September in Yerevan.
The public of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Armenia attentively follows
whether Turkey will receive the invitation of Armenia, with which it
has no diplomatic relations.
There are no diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia and
the Turkish-Armenian borders have been closed since 1993. For the
re-establishment of the bilateral relations, Ankara calls upon Armenia
to give up its policy of internationally recognition of ‘Armenian
genocide’, reported to be committed by the Ottoman Empire, to recognize
borders of Turkey and withdraw from occupied Azerbaijani territories.
Jafarov said that any change in Azerbaijan or Turkey’s attitude towards
these or other questions can not change the relations between Turkey
and Azerbaijan. It deals with the tactical change in Turkey’s attitude
towards Armenian problem. This problem has been remaining unsettled
for a long time.
According to the MP, the whole world is concerned by non-solution of
the Armenian problem for such authoritative countries as Turkey and
Azerbaijan. Therefore, such accelerative attempts may be made.
"The development of events shows that Turkish President’s taking
such a step in the attitude towards Armenia is a tactical move. This
does not change attitude towards Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan will not
change its attitude towards Turkey due to such a step. The matter
is that a new period has already begun in the attitude towards the
Armenian issue. This is Turkey’s initial steps. But I think that it is
impossible to make claims that with this, Turkey will make concessions
to Armenia, change its policy, implement dictate of great forces,"
Jafarov said.
The MP does not believe that in the present condition, Turkey will
pursue a policy strengthening Armenia because Armenia’s attitude
towards Turkey is clear. Turkey can not give any revenge before
Armenia’s aggression.