ERDOGAN’S BAKU VISIT REAFFIRMS TURKISH-AZERBAIJANI PARTNERSHIP

Today’s Zaman
May 19 2010
Turkey

Aliyev hosted Erdogan at his presidential palace in an official
ceremony on Monday.

Turkey and Azerbaijan have decided to establish a high-level strategic
cooperation council to further develop relations between the two
countries.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Azerbaijani President
Ä°lham Aliyev on Monday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
fruitful talks had been held during his visit to the Azerbaijani
capital of Baku. Pointing to Aliyev’s upcoming visit to Turkey in
June, Erdogan said officials from the two countries would continue
to pay visits and hold talks on political, military, commercial,
economic and cultural issues. Commenting on the content of his meeting
with Aliyev, Erdogan said one of the most important steps they took
during Monday’s gathering was the decision to establish a high-level
strategic cooperation council between their countries.

Erdogan said the establishment of such a council would contribute
to the future of relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan. Noting
that Aliyev had also informed him about the Nagorno-Karabakh issue
during their talks, Erdogan said Azerbaijan had always maintained
its positive stance on the matter.

"Azerbaijan has reacted positively to the Minsk Group’s latest
proposal, although Armenia has not replied to it yet. This shows
Azerbaijan’s positive stance on the matter," the Turkish prime minister
said. Highlighting that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue had been discussed
during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s recent visit to Turkey as
well, Erdogan said Turkey would maintain its sensitivity regarding
the matter.

Erdogan said his nation will not ratify a deal to normalize ties with
Armenia until the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute is settled.

Neither Turkey nor Armenia’s parliament has ratified the October
agreement to restore diplomatic ties and reopen their shared border.

As part of his program in Baku, Erdogan unveiled a statue of the
founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in Baku with
Aliyev following their meeting.

Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, Erdogan thanked Aliyev for
the monument, saying it was very meaningful that President Aliyev
chose a location close to the Turkish Embassy in Baku for the statue.

"With every passing day, our political, military, economic, cultural
and commercial relations are developing. From now on, there will be
growth in Azerbaijan and growth in Turkey. The status of these two
countries in the global community will be transformed," Erdogan said.

Turkish State Minister Mehmet Aydın, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız accompanied
Prime Minister Erdogan during his visit to Baku.

Erdogan also said Turkish-Azerbaijani relations are getting stronger
with each passing day and that no one should doubt this relationship.

No one should pay attention to gossip, he said, adding that the
level of unity and brotherhood between the two countries cannot be
determined by hearsay.

Following the unveiling of the Ataturk monument, Erdogan and his wife,
Emine Erdogan, laid a wreath on the tomb of the late Azerbaijani
President Heydar Aliyev and his wife, Zarifa Aliyeva.