RAPPROCHEMENT WITH ARMENIA TO HELP END OCCUPATION OF AZERI LAND – TURKISH OFFICIAL

news.az
Nov 6 2009
Azerbaijan

Turkey is seeking reconciliation with Armenia in order to facilitate
the end of Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani land, an official from
Turkey’s embassy in Baku said today.

For many years Turkey was the only independent Turkic state and
suffered great hardship, but even during tough times in 1933, the
father of the Turkish republic Kemal Ataturk said the Soviet empire
would collapse and fraternal Azerbaijan would become independent.

Ataturk asked Turks to love Azerbaijan, Gazi Bilkin, an economic
adviser to Turkey’s ambassador to Azerbaijan, said on Friday.

Speaking at a round table on the impact on Azerbaijan of the signing
of the Turkish-Armenian accords, Bilkin said Turkey is heir to the
empire whose collapse left Turkic nations and lands beyond Turkey.

"Turkey is settling this issue now and the processes between Armenia
and Turkey should be approached from these positions."

Bilkin said: "Turkey closed the border with Armenia due to the
occupation of Azerbaijani land and will not open the border until
the occupation ends. Our aim is to be reconciled with Armenia to
facilitate this process."