TURKISH PRESIDENT THINKS CURRENT STATUS QUO WITH ARMENIA NOT IN BEST INTERESTS

Anadolu Agency
May 27 2009
Turkey

BISHKEK (A.A) – 27.05.2009 – The Turkish president expressed on
Wednesday his belief that the current status quo with Armenia was
not for nobody’s interest.

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul said that the status quo between
Turkey and Armenia was not for nobody’s interest.

"Neither the current status quo between Turkey and Armenia nor the one
between Armenia and Azerbaijan are in the best interests of any of the
parties," Gul told Turkish reporters in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.

Gul is actually visiting Kyrgyzstan, the first stop of his tour
covering this country and Tajikistan.

President Gul said that diplomacy was being carried out to convince
Armenian President Serzh Sargsian to a national match between Turkey
and Armenia to be played in Turkey in October.

Gul defined Russia as a key country in settlement of Caucasian
problems, and said this country had good will and was exerting efforts
to solve problems.

On Iraq, Gul said the best interests of the central government of
Iraq and the regional administration in north of Iraq were stability
of the entire country.

Also speaking about the initiatives to clear landmines across
Turkish-Syrian border, Gul said that the parliament would debate
whether this was for the best interests of Turkey and then pass a law.

Gul said that he would ratify the law if he thought it was for the
best interests of Turkey. (BRC-CE)