RAPPROCHEMENT WITH ARMENIA PREMATURE – TURKISH EX-SPEAKER

news.az
Feb 23 2010
Azerbaijan

Husamettin Cindoruk The Turkish-Armenian talks should become trilateral
Armenian-Turkish-Azerbaijani talks, a former Turkish parliamentary
speaker has said.

"Turkey continues a reasonable foreign policy. Since the Second World
War we have experienced critical moments in history, but we have had
no war with Syria, Iraq and Greece. It shows that Turkey is able to
live in peace with its neighbours," the former speaker of the Turkish
parliament, Husamettin Cindoruk, has said, according to Turkey’s TAKA
newspaper website.

Cindoruk said "Ankara was too early in normalizing relations with
Armenia". "Turgut Ozal, Suleyman Demirel or Bulent Ecevit or other
historical figures of Turkey never questioned Azerbaijani-Turkish
brotherhood. Azerbaijan is of great importance to us, this country is
our natural ally. Though [Foreign Minister] Ahmet Davutoglu has told us
the same thing, I think that before signing the protocols with Armenia,
our government should have discussed this issue in detail with Baku."

"Armenia is not an independent state and it coordinates all its
steps with its supporters, therefore Turkey should have conducted
negotiations with Baku on this issue. Unfortunately, the government
did not listen to us and the decision of the Constitutional Court
of Armenia has made it difficult. Now, I think it is necessary
to change the Armenian-Turkish negotiations into trilateral
Armenian-Turkish-Azerbaijani negotiations and put the issue of borders
and Karabakh to common discussion. It is clear that the Armenians
do not want to leave the occupied lands. Ankara should discuss all
processes with Baku and find ways out of the prevailing situation",
Cindoruk said.