ERDOGAN SAYS GARABAGH TOPPED OBAMAS TURKISH VISIT AGENDA

AssA-Irada
May 13 2009
Azerbaijan

The key topic in US President Barack Obamas visit to Turkey in
early April was the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh, not US-Turkish relations, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said in the Milli Mejlis (Azeri parliament) on Wednesday. He
said both he himself and President Abdullah Gul had outlined their
position and said they were expecting US support in the issue. This
put the Garabagh issue on Washingtons near-future diplomatic agenda.

After returning to the US, President Obama telephoned Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev, while US Vice President Jo Biden called
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian several times. In the meantime,
the US State Department adviser on Caucasus affairs, Mathew Bryza,
has paid three visits to the region. In May, US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton has invited Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign
ministers to Washington and urged them to step up their diplomatic
effort to resolve the long-standing dispute. Erdogan said further
that international attention to the Garabagh problem is increasing as
well, adding that all regional states are aware that normal relations
could not be fostered in the region as long as the conflict remains
unresolved. According to the prime minister, Garabagh settlement is not
only in the interests of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Armenia. The transport
infrastructure to link Baku and Nakhchivan and then Turkey will benefit
all regional countries. Regional economic cooperation will improve
the well-being of all people living here. I would like to emphasize
the importance of liberation of Azerbaijani territories again, Erdogan
said. He noted that peace and stability could not be achieved by word
only. Work must be done. The Turkish prime minister also appealed to
the US, France and Russia, countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group
brokering settlement of the Garabagh conflict. According to him, the
talks should result in a specific solution in order for confidence in
international law to be restored. Erdogan said Turkeys stance on the
conflict was clear. Turkey wants the Garabagh conflict to be resolved
on the basis of Azerbaijans territorial integrity and will continue
to adhere to this position in the future too, he said.