Trend, Azerbaijan
March 12 2009

Normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations impossible until occupied
Azerbaijani lands returned: Turkey-Azerbaijan inter-parliamentary
Friendship Group co-chair
12.03.09 17:05

Azerbaijan, Baku, March 12 /Trend News, R. Hafizoglu/

Normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations is impossible until
Azerbaijan’s occupied lands are returned.

"Establishing Turkey-Armenia relations is impossible until
Azerbaijan’s occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region and other lands are
returned," Turkey-Azerbaijan inter-parliamentary Friendship Group
co-chair Mustafa Kabakchi told Trend News in a telephone conversation
from Ankara.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan said at his speech in the
International Diplomat Academy in France that "the Armenian genocide"
will not impact Turkey-Armenia ties. "We are close to restoration of
relations between the two states and opening of borders without
putting forward any condition," Armenian Public Television quoted
Nalbandyan as saying.

Kabakchi said Azerbaijan is an integral part of the Turkic
world. "There are Turkic people in the world. Turkic people have their
own states. One of the states is Turkey and another is Azerbaijan. We
will never discuss interests of our people – Azerbaijani nation," he
added.

Kabakchi said cooperation with Armenia can be matter of debate as soon
as those responsible for the massacre against civilians in the
Azerbaijani occupied lands including Khojali are punished.

"Turkey has always stood and will always stand by Azerbaijan. We are
descendants of the same nation. We will not take a step which would
harm our fraternal relations," Kabakchi added.

Kabakchi said Turkey has acted as mediator in resolution of military
conflicts recently as this is Turkey’s mission.

"Turkey aims not to take somebody’s side, but to end war and
conflict. Turkey supports peace across the world," Kabakchi said.

Armenian-Turkish ties have been severed since 1993 because of
Armenia’s false "genocide" claims and occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani
lands. Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Yerevan on September 6,
2008 at the invitation of his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisyan to
watch Armenia-Turkey football match within the European Cup. Efforts
have been made since then to normalize ties between the two countries.