TURKEY MUST KEEP PROMISES TO AZERBAIJAN: TURKISH OFFICIAL

Trend
Dec 2 2009
Azerbaijan

Leader of the Turkish Grand Unity Party Yalchin Topchu believes
Turkey should keep promises to Azerbaijan and not open the borders
with Armenia until the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is resolved.

"Turkey must keep its promises and not to disclose the Turkish-Armenian
borders until the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is resolved," Topchu
told Trend News over the telephone.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit U.S Dec.7.

During his visit, the minister will mull the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and the Turkish-Armenian protocols with U.S President Barack Obama.

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

Turkey and Armenia in the talks mediated by Switzerland reached an
agreement to launch "internal political consultations" on Aug. 31
to sign the "Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
and Protocol on the Development of Bilateral Relations," the Turkish
Foreign Ministry reported.

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. 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.

If Armenia seriously wants peace, the country should prove this
and withdrew its troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories
unconditionally, he added.