DENIZ BAYKAL: "YOU CAN’T DEAL WITH PKK BUT HIT AZERBAIJAN?!"

APA
Oct 20 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. "Without interfering in the recent disputes as to who is
right between Turkey and Azerbaijan, I want to say that Turkey did
not take into account its interests and took a wrong step in Armenian
issue. Saying that they are solving a problem they created another
more serious problem," leader of Turkish opposition Deniz Baykal
said at the meeting of the parliamentary faction of the Republican
People’s Party (CHP), APA reports. He said to ingratiate itself with
some foreign circles the Turkish government created a very serious
problem by taking their recommendations into account. We told the
government "Don’t take a step that may hurt Azerbaijan, don’t forget
Azerbaijan’s significance". Alongside with historical closeness,
common language, religion, we reiterated Azerbaijan’s importance for
Turkey in the Caucasus. Some do not see Azerbaijan, they see Armenia
and exert pressure on you. But you – the Turkish government can not
ignore Azerbaijan. Even though the entire world does not see, you
should see Azerbaijan and underline its importance. Unfortunately,
our words were not taken into consideration. We said to Davutoglu
"Don’t sign the protocols" but they signed," he said.

Baykal said the government has not sent the protocols signed with
the European Union about the opening of Turkish ports for the Greek
Cypriots up to now, but it has immediately sent the protocols with
Armenia to the parliament.

The opposition leader mentioned the incidents during the Turkey-Armenia
football match in Bursa, and said that besides the tensions over the
protocols, the flag issue came to agenda as well.

"Bursa authorities banned the Azerbaijani flags before the match. Our
parliamentarians pressured upon the governor, but unfortunately they
collected the Azerbaijani flags before the match. It was one of the
causes of Azerbaijan’s protests".

Baykal also mentioned the show related to the surrender of a group of
PKK militants on borders with Iraq on October 19. "Thousands of people
demonstratively wave the PKK flags in front of eyes of security forces
and you digest it, but you feel need to ban the Azerbaijani flags
in Bursa. You can’t deal with PKK but hit Azerbaijan?! You offer to
Armenian president Sargsyan seat on $10 000-armchair decorated with
Swarovski crystals, but one million Azerbaijanis were expelled from
their homeland and settled in the tent camps and are living in the
difficult conditions. Azerbaijani people feel the pain of occupation
in their hearts. It is very painful".

Baykal reminded about the Abdullah Gul’s protest at the parliament
in 1993 when then-Prime Minister Suleiman Demirel invited Armenian
president Levon Ter-Petrosian to the funeral of Turkish president
Turgut Ozal. Gul was one of the leaders of oppositional Welfare Party
in that time and he told Demirel: "You shake the hands of killers of
your brothers and those who claim Kars as Armenian territory".

Baykal said he believed that both Turkish and Azerbaijani people would
not allow the governments’ mistake to damage their brotherhood. "Our
friendship and brotherhood with Azerbaijan is above all. The mistakes
of governments will be left in history. I believe that the Azerbaijani
authorities will soon take the control over this problem. Let the
Azerbaijani people have a peace".