TURKISH MP TOUGHENS STANCE ON ARMENIAN PROTOCOLS

news.az
Jan 20 2010
Azerbaijan

Murad Mercan Turkey’s parliament will not discuss the Armenian
protocols until Armenia withdraws its troops from Azerbaijan, MP
Murad Mercan has said.

Mercan, who is chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s
foreign policy commission, was talking to Azerbaijan’s Trend news
agency on Wednesday.

"The protocols signed between Ankara and Yerevan will not be discussed
in the Turkish parliament before the withdrawal of Armenian troops
from the occupied lands of Azerbaijan," Mercan said.

He said that relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan, based on the
principles of friendship and brotherhood, take precedence for Ankara.

"The Grand National Assembly of Turkey represents the Turkish people
who have always supported the Azerbaijani nation. For this very reason,
ratification of these protocols in the Turkish parliament is impossible
without the complete resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict,"
Mercan said.

Mercan said on Saturday that discussion of the protocols in parliament
would be a waste of time, as MPs would not ratify them.