SUAT KINIKLIOGLU: HILLARY CLINTON HAS A KEY TO SET UP DRAFT LAW ON SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FOR DISCUSSIONS AT THE CONGRESS

APA
Feb 9 2009
Azerbaijan

"Turkey is against of Russian weapon supply to Armenia"

Istanbul. Mayis Alizadeh-APA. Suat Kiniklioglu, Deputy Chairman of the
ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party for Foreign Affairs returned
from Washington. He held several meetings regarding "Armenian issue"
in Washington. Kinikliogli spoke about all these issues while giving
an interview to APA Turkey bureau exclusively.

– Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan made regular statements on
normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations and "Armenia issue". How
are you engaged in this issue in Washington?

The issue is on the agenda. Draft law on so-called Armenian genocide
can be raised for discussions at the Congress any time. We try to
prevent it. The delegation from Turkish Parliament will leave for
Washington to provide objective information about the issue. We try
to decrease impact of Armenian Diaspora on Armenia coordinating with
Azerbaijan on Turkey-Armenia relations. Armenian Diaspora is concerned
about the issue. In fact, we want to kill two birds with one stone. We
want to debar Armenian Diaspora from the process and want to assist
our fraternal Azerbaijan to solve Nagorno Karabakh conflict justly.

– Do you suppose that Obama administration will support the draft
law on so-called Armenian genocide to be debated at the Congress?

-Obama administration is addressing mostly the economic issues now,
but it doesn’t mean that the issue of so-called "Armenian genocide"
will not be brought to the agenda tomorrow or another day. More things
will depend on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. If Mrs. Clinton
opposes a draft resolution, the Armenian lobby will face with more
difficulties to bring a new resolution to the Congress. I can say
that Hillary Clinton has a key to this issue.

– After the Russian invasion of Georgia the Turkish Prime Minister
proposed the "Caucasian Stability and Cooperation Platform". What is
the future of this platform? Can Turkey work together with Russia?

-Turkey has special relations with Russia. Our relationship is
gradually developing. The main problem for Russia is Georgia. If
these two countries resolve problems between them, there will be a
good condition for the strengthening of the "Platform".

– There are facts about the Russia’s arm shipment to Armenia. Earlier
Russia sold $1.1 billion arms to Armenia and last year $800 million
arm deal was reached between Russia and Armenia. Is the confidence
in the future of the "Caucasian Stability and Cooperation Platform"
reduced under this condition?

-Russia looks at all arm deals from the commercial point of
view. Moscow is actively carrying on arm trade with many countries from
China to Iran, but its arm shipment to Armenia is hacking the peace
in the region. We are against the Russia’s arm shipment to Armenia,
because these arms are preventing, first of all, the fair solution
to the Nagorno Karabakh problem. We advocate for the liberation of
Azerbaijani lands from the occupation and solution to the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.