AZERBAIJAN: BAKU LAWMAKERS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FAITH IN TURKEY

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9/30/09

As Armenia and Turkey prepare to sign protocols on October 10 that
would open the way for diplomatic normalization, MPs in Azerbaijan
remain anxious about Ankara’s intentions.

"Despite numerous assurances from Turkish officials that they will not
take a step that runs counter to Azerbaijan’s interests, [the] recently
agreed protocols show that there is a certain work in progress,"
Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Ziyafet Askerov told the opening session
of the Azerbaijani parliament, the APA news agency reported.

"We would like to believe in the sincerity of these statements,"
Askerov stated.

Recent steps toward Armenian-Turkish rapprochement have stirred
contention in both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Some analysts and
politicians in Baku fear that Ankara’s push to reconcile with Yerevan
may weaken Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan’s claim to the breakaway
region of Nagorno-Karabakh. In Yerevan, meanwhile, fears run strong
that the agreement could hamper Armenia’s ability to press for
Karabakh’s independence from Azerbaijan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress