Turkey to advance Azeri interests in Armenia talks, says Erdogan
03.10.2009 11:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey will advance Azerbaijan’s interests within
the format of its negotiations with Armenia for normal relations and
open borders, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during
a televised address to the nation.

`I believe that this process will end up with a happy ending for
Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia and this issue, which had become
gangrenous, will be removed from history,’ he said.

`To this end, we will preserve our priorities and indispensability,
and continue our peaceful and friendly steps,’ he added.

Turkey and Armenia agreed on August 31 to launch internal political
consultations over two protocols, which will guide the normalization
of their relations. The consultations were scheduled to be completed
within six weeks and will be followed with ratification of the
documents within the Turkish and Armenian parliaments.

Erdogan described the protocols, which require Armenia to agree to a
series of Turkish preconditions on the Armenian Genocide and borders,
`were a signal to resolve problems,’ the Anatolian News Agency said.

`These protocols will take effect after the Turkish parliament
ratifies it,’ he said. `We will continue our talks to settle problems
between the two countries and bring our relations to a neighborly
course.’

Erdogan said that Turkey was refreshing and changing its relations
with the world, adding that Turkey would continue talks with Armenia
to settle problems.