BILAL DUNDAR: OUR BROTHERHOOD IS PROVED NOT JUST IN WORDS BUT IN DEEDS

Today.Az
1948.html
May 1 2009
Azerbaijan

Wide Turkish public accepted information about possible opening of
Turkish-Armenian border without addressing the Armenian-Azerbaijani,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with dismay, said the head of the Federation
of Turkish-Azerbaijani organizations Bilal Dundar.

"The public discussions of this issue started. The Turkish people
clearly expressed their protest against the opening of the border
with Armenia unless the Karabakh conflict is settled", he said.

According to him, Azeri and Turkish fraternal peoples have repeatedly
proved their loyalty to each other in deeds.

"Brothers help each others without waiting for the response. You need
to know yout past to look into the future. In the beginning of the
last century Azeri soldiers died in Canakkale in the battles for the
independence of Turkey, Azerbaijani women gave their gold ornaments
to help the Turkish brothers. Turkish soldiers, in turn, sacrified
their lives to free the Azerbaijani lands," emphasized B. Dundar.

He noted that the cause of the closure of the Turkish-Armenian border
in 1993 has become the occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani territory
by Armenians.

"Taking the decision to open border with Armenia, we must not forget
that it occupied Azerbaijani lands, whih turned over a million Azeris
into refugees and displaced persons. We will never forget the Khojaly
genocide, during which the Armenians killed 613 peaceful Azerbaijanis
including women, the elderly and children", he said.

According to him, the Federation sent letters which condemned the
possible steps to open borders with Armenia until the occupied lands
of Azerbaijan are released to the President, the Prime Minister,
Foreign Minister, chairman of the Grand Assembly of Turkey, the
Turkish political party leaders.