TURKISH DELEGATION TO STRESS SUPPORT FOR AZERBAIJAN

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Friday, April 10, 2009

BAKU (Combined Sources)–Deputies from Turkey’s Parliament will visit
Azerbaijan next week to allay concerns that Turkey has not changed
its policy on the Karabakh conflict, Turkey’s World Bulletin news
service reported Friday.

The deputies will be traveling to Baku as part of a delegation headed
by the chairman of the Turkey-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Friendship
group, Mustafa Kabakci, who said they would "inform the Azeri public"
that Turkey’s policy toward Azerbaijan has not changed.

Kabakci, a member of the ruling Justice and Development party
(AKP) stressed that his government will continue working with
Azerbaijan to find mutually acceptable solutions to the problems
of the region. "Turkey always stands together with its Azerbaijani
brothers and will continue to do so," he said. "We’re all bothered
that the Turkish-Azerbaijan brotherhood was damaged by unconfirmed
reports. Our sensitivity on the Karabakh issue continues."

The Turkish parliamentarians will meet with their Azerbaijani
counterparts, representatives of non-governmental organizations and
the media, Kabakci was quoted by Today.az as saying.

The news came as statements this week by Turkey’s Prime Minister
and President indicating that Ankara is linking the normalization of
its relations with Yerevan with a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict acceptable to Azerbaijan. The Turkish government appeared
ready to drop that linkage when it embarked on an unprecedented
dialogue with the Sarkisian administration last year.

The apparent shift followed an uproar in Azerbaijan over
reports that Ankara and Yerevan are poised to sign this month
an agreement envisaging an end to the 16-year Turkish blockade of
Armenia. Azerbaijani leaders publicly warned their Turkish counterparts
against lifting the embargo before a Karabakh settlement.