MP: TURKISH PRIME MINISTER’S VISIT TO U.S. TESTIFIES TURKEY WILL NOT SUCCUMB TO PRESSURE

Trend
April 23 2010
Azerbaijan

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s last visit to the U.S.
showed that Ankara will not succumb to pressure, the chairman of the
Turkey-Azerbaijan parliamentary group, MP Mustafa Kabakchi said.

"Turkey is not as before, and will not retreat before any threats,
Kabakchi said. – The government has repeatedly stated that it feels
responsible for the entire Turkic world."

Therefore, according to the Turkish MP, the decision of the Armenian
leadership to freeze the process of normalizing relations with Turkey
will not affect the position of Ankara.

On April 22, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on
suspension of the Armenia-Turkey Protocols’ ratification at the
Parliament.

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

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey were broken due
to Armenian claims of an alleged genocide and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. Their border closed in 1993.

Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan’s message to nation says that
Armenia has decided not to exit the process of normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations, but rather, to suspend the procedure of
ratifying the Protocols. The president believes this to be in the
best interests of nation.

"These statements will have no effect on the position of Turkey. If
in certain matters the thoughts are clear, and the position is open,
then there will be no doubt on the decisions made and nothing can be
diverted from its chosen path," said Kabakchi.

Therefore, Turkey’s position in the process of normalizing relations
with Armenia and its commitment to the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict will remain unchanged, says MP.

"Turkey believes the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is one of the problems
of the Turkic world and continues to oppose against the occupation, and
therefore, the statements of Armenia do not worry us, said Kabakchi. –
Ankara knows what it wants in the Caucasus: ending the occupation,
the return of Azerbaijani refugees to their land and stabilizing the
region through peaceful means. "

He said the firm position that Prime Minister Erdogan took over the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and normalization of relations with
Armenia testifies the decisive steps of Turkey, therefore, attempting
to pressure is excluded.

"The statement that Erdogan made in Baku [opening borders with Armenia
only after the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict], he repeated
in the U.S. and Europe. Therefore, Turkey is decisive in its actions,
said Kabakchi. – Armenia still can not refuse pressure of diasporas.