TURKISH PM LEAVES FOR AZERBAIJAN TO ALLAY CONCERNS OVER ARMENIA TIES
Hurriyet
May 12 2009
Turkey
ISTANBUL – Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan left for Azerbaijan
on Tuesday to reassure its leaders that Turkey’s efforts to reconcile
with Armenia would not undermine Baku’s interests.
The visit is aimed at "eradicating misunderstandings and
misperceptions" over Turkey’s policies, Erdogan told reporters before
his departure, pledging that Azeri interests remained a priority
for Ankara.
"Nobody should have the slightest doubt that Turkey will continue to
defend Azerbaijan’s interests as it has done so far," he said. "Our
relations are strong and based on a culture of fraternity."
Erdogan, accompanied by several ministers, including Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu and Energy Minister Taner Yildiz, is scheduled to meet
with President Ilham Aliyev and address the Azeri parliament Wednesday.
Ankara cut diplomatic links with Yerevan and closed the border in
a show of support to Azerbaijan in 1993 after 20 percent of its
territory was invaded by Armenia in the disputed region — a frozen
conflict legacy of the Soviet Union known as Nagorno-Karabakh.
Turkey and Armenia, however, agreed last month on a "road map" deal
for U.S.-backed talks that could lead to the normalizing of ties and
the opening of their border.
The Ankara-Yerevan thaw has reportedly disturbed Azerbaijan, which
says opening the border before the withdrawal of Armenian troops
from the country’s occupied territories would run counter to its
national interests. Some media reports have suggested that Azerbaijan,
a supplier of oil and gas to Europe, might even halt the sale of
natural gas to Turkey.
After his visit to Baku, Erdogan will fly to Russia to meet with Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi Saturday.
Russia, which has been mediating between Armenia and Azerbaijan over
Nagorno-Karabakh, is reportedly pushing for a summit between Aliyev
and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in June aimed at moving to
formally end the conflict.