BAKU: Turkey to ignore Azerbaijan interests if Armenians renounce

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
Dec 20 2008

Araz Alizade: "Turkey will agree to ignore Azerbaijan’s interests if
Armenians renounce demands for contributions for events in the Osman
empire in 1915"

20 December 2008 [12:22] – Today.Az

Turkey will agree to ignore Azerbaijan’s interests if Armenians
renounce demands for contributions for events in the Osman empire in
1915, said chairman of the Social-Democratic Party of Azerbaijan Araz
Alizade.

"The mentality of Turkish and Azerbaijani peoples is similar. Once
Azerbaijan had a mistaken opinion that after it becomes independent
and gets a right to control its oil revenues as it wishes, the
population of the country will have excellent living conditions.
Present day Turkey also has the mistaken opinion that as soon as this
county joins the European Union, ordinary Turks will sink in
wealth. But as is known in order to become the EU member, Turkey must
recognize "the Armenian genocide" in the Osman empire. It is also
known that in a strife for EU membership President of Turkey Abdullah
Gul attended the football match Armenia-Turkey in Yerevan. During this
match, he got the promise that Armenians will not demand compensations
for 1915 events in Turkey. That is why the Turkish leadership decided
to ignore its people and now it hopes for the EU membership, expecting
the so-called money rainfall, which the accession to this organization
would lead to.

But Armenians will definitely attain from Turkey not only the
recognition of the "Armenian genocide" but also the repayment of a
great compensation", said he.

According to him, in this case despite the numerous statements of the
Turkish leadership that this country does not wish the opening of
borders with Armenia as the latter occupied 20% of Azerbaijani lands,
money is more important.

"If Turkey, which has an external debt of more than $160 bln, will
also be bound to pay contributions to Armenians for 1915 events in
Osman empire, the future of Turkey as a state will be difficult to
imagine".

He said, therefore, it will agree to ignore Azerbaijan’s interests if
Armenians renounce demands for contributions for events in the Osman
empire in 1915.

"I know from my life experience that for the population of Turkey, a
person with the passport of the Turkish citizen in his pocket,
regardless of his nationality, is above all citizens of the world. If
someone in Azerbaijan hopes that Turkey will strive for returning
Karabakh to Azerbaijan, he is deeply mistaken. Karabakh is our land
and we ourselves should do everything possible for its return",
concluded Alizade.

/Day.Az/

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http://www.today.az/news/politics/49711.html