TURKISH PRIME MINISTER RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN: "AZERBAIJAN CANNOT BE LEFT ASIDE OF PEACE PROCESSES IN THE REGION"

APA
April 14 2010
Azerbaijan

"Turkey closed the borders because of tensions between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, because of occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia"

Baku – APA. Ankara doesn’t think that President Barack Obama will
use "Armenian genocide" phrase in his traditional address to the US
Armenian community on April 24. "We want the third countries not to
cause rows between Turkey and Armenia and not to adopt resolutions. I
told Obama what I am telling every time. I have a character – I don’t
say one thing before the doors and another one behind the doors",
said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Washington,
APA reports. He said he didn’t think that Obama will do that.

Erdogan said they discussed next phase of the relations between the
two countries at the meeting with Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan.

He reminded about the meetings between the foreign ministers of
both countries, as well as US Secretary of State and Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Erdogan noted that the purpose of Zurich
protocols was described clearly. "It purposes to establish peace in
the region. How can Azerbaijan be left aside of these processes?

Azerbaijan is one of the elements in the regional peace processes. It
is necessary to solve the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and
to bring the sides to common solution. Why Turkish-Armenian borders
were closed in 1993? It was closed because of tensions between Armenia
and Azerbaijan, because of occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia.

Now it needs to reach progress in the settlement of the conflict
between the sides and to establish peace and stability for the
opening the borders. From this view, the OSCE Minsk Group has great
responsibility. Today, we discussed this issue with Russian president
Medvedev. We discussed the issue with Mr. Sarkozy last week. I consider
that the acceleration of the process will bring some results".

Erdoagn sad there was no concrete schedule for ratification of the
Zurich protocols. "We sent the protocols to the parliament. Armenia
also sent the protocols to the parliament passing them through the
Constitutional Court. I believe that there will be some positive
results to stimulate the process and it will accelerate the
parliaments’ activity toward this".