TURKISH PM VOWS NOT "TO LET AZERBAIJAN DOWN" AT TALKS WITH ARMENIA

Anadolu Agency
Oct 9 2009
Turkey

Istanbul: The Turkish premier said on Friday that Turkey would never
let Azerbaijan down.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would
never let Azerbaijan down in the Azerbaijani-Armenian dispute.

"Turkey will never be involved in an act or a decision that will
let Azerbaijan down, regarding the Azerbaijani-Armenian dispute,"
Erdogan told reporters.

Erdogan said protocols would be signed between Turkey and Armenia
on Saturday, and foreign ministers would represent the Minsk Group
during the signature ceremony.

"That is, Sergey Lavrov from Russian Federation, Hillary Clinton from
the United States and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner will
witness the signature ceremony, and I hope it will have a positive
contribution to Turkish-Armenian relations," he said.

Erdogan said Turkey had always been in a positive approach towards
Armenia, and enumerated air transportation between Yerevan and
Istanbul, restoration of Armenian Orthodox Church in Van’s Akdamar
Island, and Armenian people who ran away from Armenia and settled
down in Turkey as an example.

Also, Erdogan said Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s visit to Armenia
to watch a World Cup qualifier between the two countries was a
positive message.

"The president went there without laying down any preconditions,
and it is not possible for us to accept if preconditions are put
forward us," he said.

Erdogan said that Armenia had a problem like diaspora, and if the
Armenian administration showed its stance clearly, he believed problems
would be overcome.

The Turkish prime minister said Turkey did not have such a problem,
and was taking steps with determination.

Also, Erdogan said that he would pay a formal visit to Iraq soon,
which would be the most important leg of a high-level strategic
council cooperation agreement reached between the two countries.

Erdogan said that he would travel to Iraq with ministers and
businessmen, and sign tens of agreements there.