ALIYEV: "THERE ARE NO COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD TO WORK FRUITFULLY IN POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL SPHERES LIKE TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN"

APA
Oct 28 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the members
of the foreign relations commission of the Turkish Parliament, press
service of the President told APA.

The head of state emphasized the important significance of the
Turkish delegation’s visit to Azerbaijan and said the mutual visits
were important to receive information about the regional processes
from first sources and to inform the parties.

President Ilham Aliyev said Turkey was first to recognize Azerbaijan’s
independence and both countries have been moving from the same position
since that period. "There are no countries in the world to work
fruitfully in political, economic and cultural spheres like Turkey and
Azerbaijan", said President Aliyev. He mentioned the cultural relations
and said recently the leaders of the Turkic-speaking countries made
very important decisions at their 9th summit in Nakhchivan and welcomed
the Azerbaijan’s initiative to establish TURKSOY Fund.

The head of state emphasized that there is no initiative and project
in the region that could be realized without Azerbaijan-Turkey
cooperation and said these positive tendencies would be developed in
future too. "It will be very useful for our countries and peoples
and for entire region as well". President Ilham Aliyev said crisis
dominated in the world and developments in the region made us be more
communicable with each other because we can lift the misunderstandings
that have an effect on the bilateral relations only by this way.

President Ilham Aliyev mentioned the protocols signed between Turkey
and Armenia and said Azerbaijan didn’t interfere in the domestic
affairs of other countries. The head of state reminded that a part
of Azerbaijani lands is under the Armenian occupation for nearly 20
years. "Armenia pursued the policy of genocide and ethnic cleansing
in those territories. Therefore it should be accepted naturally that
Azerbaijani community is sensitive to the relations with Armenia. The
main concern of Azerbaijan is that Armenia could solve the economic
crisis by the opening of Turkish-Armenian borders and tighten its
position in the negotiations".

President Ilham Aliyev reminded about the statements by the
Turkish president, prime minister and parliament speaker that the
Turkish-Armenian borders will not be opened without the liberation
of Karabakh from the occupation. The president talked about the
following processes and said that Turkey and Azerbaijan had special
relations and every Turkish and Azerbaijani citizen should contribute
to the strengthening of these relations by own work. The President
of Azerbaijan emphasized the importance of communications between
the parliamentarians of both countries. "The intensification of
communications will promote the development of Turkey-Azerbaijan
relations".

Chairman of the Turkish parliament’s foreign relations
commission, member of the parliament from AKP Murat Mercan said the
Azerbaijani-Turkish friendly and brotherhood relations were based on
the historic roots and said the parliamentarians of both countries
established fruitful cooperation at the Council of Europe and other
international organizations. He reminded the period when President
Ilham Aliyev led the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe and added that the joint activity
of Azerbaijani and Turkish deputies played an important role in
recognition of Armenia as an aggressive state by the Council of
Europe. Touching upon the protocols signed between Turkey and Armenia,
Murat Mercan noted that his country understood the sensitiveness of
Azerbaijan in this issue and added that Turkey-Armenia border would
not be opened without the solution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Murat
Mercan stressed the importance of further strengthening of cooperation
between the parliaments of Azerbaijan and Turkey and offered proposal
on meeting of the foreign relations commissions of the parliaments
twice a year. The chief delegate of Turkey expressed his gratitude
to the President of Azerbaijan for the organization of the summit of
the leaders of Turkic-speaking countries in Nakhchivan at high level.

Member of Turkish Parliament’s foreign relations commission, MP
from National Movement Party (MHP) Deniz Bolukbashi stated that the
protocols signed between Turkey and Armenia will not be brought to
the agenda of the Turkish Parliament unless the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict is solved.

President Ilham Aliyev asked the members of the delegation to convey
his best regards to the Turkish President, Prime Minister, Chairman
of the Parliament and Chairman of the National Movement Party. At
the same time, President Ilham Aliyev expressed his personal thanks
for the principal position of the National Movement Party.

President Ilham Aliyev touched upon the significance of relations
between our countries. Speaking about the security issues in the
region, the head of state underlined that Armenia-Azerbaijan and
Turkey-Armenia relations should find their solutions at the same time.

Sharing his views on interparliamentary relations, President Ilham
Aliyev stressed the importance of establishment of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Turkic-Speaking Countries in Baku. According to
him, the summit of the leaders of Turkic-speaking countries in
Nakhchivan – the ancient land of Azerbaijan, decisions and signed
documents there assume great importance from the standpoint of further
strengthening of cooperation between the Turkic-speaking countries. To
the president, common past, history, origin, root and language unite
the Turkic-speaking countries.

The president of Azerbaijan expressed his satisfaction with the
proposal on meeting of the parliamentary delegations twice a year and
added that such meetings could be held not only in the capitals but
also in the regions. Touching upon the cooperation of Azerbaijani
and Turkish delegation in the Council of Europe, the head of state
emphasized that the joint activity of deputies from both countries
played an important role in the discussion of Nagorno Karabakh conflict
in the Parliamentary Assembly of the organization and adoption of
the resolution supporting the just position of Azerbaijan.

The head of state spoke about the activity of Azerbaijan in other
international organizations, including the Organization of Islamic
Conference (OIC) and added that Azerbaijan’s positions considerably
strengthened. Touching upon the importance of strengthening of
cooperation between our countries, the head of state stressed the
significance of continuation of mutual visits of the parliamentary
delegations in the future.