TOP AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL VISITS TURKEY
news.az
April 1 2010
Azerbaijan
Ramiz Mehdiyev A delegation led by the head of the Azerbajani
Presidential Administration, Ramiz Mehdiyev, is paying an official
visit to Turkey.
The delegation was welcomed at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport by the
Turkish president’s general secretary, Mustafa Isen, and Azerbaijan’s
ambassador to Turkey, Zakir Hashimov.
The Azerbaijani delegation paid its respects at Ataturk’s mausoluem,
Anitkabir.
The delegation met the secretary general of Turkey’s National Security
Council, Serdar Kilic. The meeting noted that relations between
the two fraternal countries were on a high level and discussed the
prospects for further cooperation.
The delegation met the Grand National Assembly’s foreign affairs
committee chairman, Murad Mercan. Welcoming the visitors, Mercan
said that all Turkish MPs, regardless of whether they were in power
or the opposition, regarded the problems of fraternal Azerbaijan as
their own problems.
Ramiz Mehdiyev said: ‘Today I have arrived in my homeland and I am
meeting my brothers here. The statement of our great leader Heydar
Aliyev that "We are one nation, two states" is right. This is primarily
connected with the historical past of the Turkic nations. We are really
one nation, but historical processes have led to the appearance of
two states. Currently, the ties between the two countries are on a
high peak. It has been a pleasure for me to exchange views and talk
to my brothers here.’
The delegation visited Gazi University in Ankara, where Rector Riza
Ayhan briefed them about the university’s work. Ramiz Mehdiyev gave
a lecture on the modern state of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani-Turkish
relations.
He said that Azerbaijan was the most dynamically developing in the
South Caucasus and the world leader in terms of GDP growth. He said
Azerbaijan had a balanced foreign policy which assigned a special
place to fraternal Turkey.
‘Our relations are unique in the region and the world. Since the first
day of independence, Azerbaijan has felt Turkey’s support and become
stronger and is already a support to Turkey.
‘Armenia which lives with myths about the construction of a great
"Armenia from sea to sea" has always made territorial claims on Turkey
and Azerbaijan throughout its 200-year history,’ Mehdiyev said.
‘From the beginning of the 19th century Armenia has been conducting
planned terror and genocide against Azerbaijanis which continued in
different historical periods,’ Mehdiyev said.
He said that the the politicians and peoples of Azerbaijan and Turkey
should be alert to ensure that no one could spoil the relations
between them.
As an example of Turkish support for Azerbaijan, Mehdiyev cited
cooperation on projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline,
the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.
The delegation is continuing its visit to Turkey.