TURKEY MUST RECKON WITH AZERBAIJAN: TURKISH OPPOSITION LEADER

Trend News Agency
Oct 20 2009
Azerbaijan

Turkey must reckon with Azerbaijan, Leader of the Turkish opposition
Republican People’s Party (RPP), Deniz Baykal said at the meeting,
CNN Turk reported.

"Turkey is obliged to reckon with Azerbaijan," said Baykal.

Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers, Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocol in Zurich on Oct. 10.

Armenian-Turkish ties have been severed since 1993 due to Armenia’s
claims of an alleged genocide, and the country’s occupation of 20
percent of Azerbaijani lands.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations

Baykal also said that although his party called on the Turkish
authorities not to sign the protocol with Armenia, their words were
not accepted seriously.

He said this process serves to separate Azerbaijan from Turkey.

"PKK terrorists by surrendering crossed the border with their flags
in their hands, but unfortunately, the Azerbaijani flags were not
allowed to the Armenia-Turkey football match," said Baykal.

"The government does not have enough power to the PKK, but to
Azerbaijan," he said.

He said the Azerbaijani-Turkish relations are also experiencing a
bitter situation. "Show me a country whose brother is in a state of
war and killed, but they would shake hands with its enemies," said
the leader of the PRR.

According to Baykal, the Turkish-Azerbaijani brotherly ties should
not become a victim of the Turkish government’s mistakes.