BAKU: APS Party expects for Turkish opp decisiveness in ratification

Trend, Azerbaijan
Oct 23 2009

Azerbaijani People’s Socialist Party expects for Turkish opposition’s
decisiveness in ratification of protocols

Azerbaijan, Baku, October 23 / Trend News M. Aliyev /

Azerbaijani People’s Socialist Party sent a letter to secretary
general of Turkish Republican People’s Party Deniz Baykal. The letter
expressed confidence that Turkish MPs will not allow ratification of
protocols signed in Zurich on October 10, Azerbaijani People’s
Socialist Party told Trend news on October 23.

"We highly appreciate resistance which Turkish major opposition
Republic People’s Party put on ratification of the protocols signed
between Turkey and Armenia," the message said.

Chairman of Azerbaijani Socialist Party Rovshan Huseynov regretted in
the letter that Turkish current authorities demonstrate return evil
for good. Azerbaijani authorities have been executing its obligations
before Turkey since 1993.

Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the protocols Ankara-Yerevan in Zurich on October
10.

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey have been broken due
to Armenia’s claims of an alleged genocide, and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. The border between them has been broken since 1993.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Earlier the party has protested signing of the protocols and called on
recalling Azerbaijani ambassador to Ankara for consultations.