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ARMENIAN RAPPROCHEMENT DEPENDS ON KARABAKH - TURKISH PM
news.az
May 2 2011
Azerbaijan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has restated Turkey's stance that normalization
of relations with Armenia is impossible until solution of the Karabakh
conflict.
Addressing a public rally on Sunday in the eastern province of Igdir,
the chairman of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, Erdogan
said that Azerbaijan's sadness and happiness were the sadness and
happiness of Turkey, TurkishNY reported.
"I want to say one more time in Igdir. Unless the issue of
Nagorno-Karabakh is resolved, it is impossible for our relations to
be normal with Armenia," Erdogan said.
"Since the day of their establishment, we have been behind Azerbaijan
and Nagorno-Karabakh. We will continue to stand behind them always. No
one should expect otherwise," Erdogan said.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988 when Armenia
made claims on the Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian
armed forces have occupied a swathe of Azerbaijani territory since
1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding
districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994,
but no permanent solution has been reached.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan
and has no diplomatic relations with Yerevan.
Turkey and Armenia signed protocols on normalizing relations in October
2009, but rapprochement stalled last year when both the Turkish and
Armenian parliaments refused to ratify the protocols. The Turkish
leadership has said several times that normalization is possible only
when Armenia withdraws its troops from Azerbaijani land.
From: A. Papazian
news.az
May 2 2011
Azerbaijan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has restated Turkey's stance that normalization
of relations with Armenia is impossible until solution of the Karabakh
conflict.
Addressing a public rally on Sunday in the eastern province of Igdir,
the chairman of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, Erdogan
said that Azerbaijan's sadness and happiness were the sadness and
happiness of Turkey, TurkishNY reported.
"I want to say one more time in Igdir. Unless the issue of
Nagorno-Karabakh is resolved, it is impossible for our relations to
be normal with Armenia," Erdogan said.
"Since the day of their establishment, we have been behind Azerbaijan
and Nagorno-Karabakh. We will continue to stand behind them always. No
one should expect otherwise," Erdogan said.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988 when Armenia
made claims on the Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian
armed forces have occupied a swathe of Azerbaijani territory since
1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding
districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994,
but no permanent solution has been reached.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan
and has no diplomatic relations with Yerevan.
Turkey and Armenia signed protocols on normalizing relations in October
2009, but rapprochement stalled last year when both the Turkish and
Armenian parliaments refused to ratify the protocols. The Turkish
leadership has said several times that normalization is possible only
when Armenia withdraws its troops from Azerbaijani land.
From: A. Papazian