PRESIDENT GUL SAYS TURKEY-ARMENIA ACCORD WOULD BENEFIT AZERBAIJAN

Hurriyet
April 30 2009
Turkey

ISTANBUL – A possible accord to normalize ties between Ankara and
Yerevan would benefit Azerbaijan, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said
late Wednesday.

The Turkish president told a joint press conference with his Czech
counterpart Vaclav Klaus in Prague that the reconciliation efforts
are not against Azerbaijan.

The initiatives were also for the benefit of Turkey and Azerbaijan
as well as for the establishment of stability in the entire Caucasus
region, Gul said.

Baku is disturbed by Turkey’s and Armenia’s recent efforts toward
reconciliation, which could lead to reopening their joint border.

Turkey closed the border in a show of solidarity with Azerbaijan,
which is in conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Azerbaijan has urged Turkey, its close ally, to link reconciliation
efforts with Armenia to the withdrawal of Armenian forces from the
disputed region.

Turkey and Armenia, under Switzerland’s mediation, agreed last week
on a framework for normalizing relations.

NABUCCO PROJECT Gul also said he discussed energy issue with Klaus,
adding that Turkey attached importance to the energy issue and was
determined about the Nabucco project.

The Turkish president said he hopes that a memorandum of understanding
would be signed between governments soon.

He said the main resources of the Nabucco project were the Caucasus,
Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, adding that they were working to determine
whether those resources were sufficient.

Klaus was quoted by state-run Anatolian Agency as telling the
conference that his country supported Turkey’s EU membership process.

The Czech president said he showed his political will for Turkey’s
participation in the integration process with the EU.