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TURKEY FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS IN UKRAINE WITH CONCERN, SAYS DAVUTOgLU
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Feb 19 2014
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Wednesday that Turkey is
worried about the recent developments in Ukraine, one of the most
important countries along the Black Sea coast, a day after deadly
violence between riot police and protesters hit the country, leaving
at least 25 people dead and 240 injured.
"Ukraine is one of the countries with a strategic location in the
Black Sea basin. The stability of Ukraine and peace in the country is
of vital importance to the [Black Sea] region. We are following the
developments in Ukraine with concern. We want to convey our condolences
to the families of those who were killed [in the protests]," Davutoglu
said during a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani and Georgian
counterparts, underlining that public order in the country should
be restored.
Davutoglu's remarks came after a third tripartite meeting between the
foreign ministers of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia in the Azerbaijani
city of Ganja to discuss bilateral ties and regional cooperation.
During the press conference, Davutoglu extended Turkey's support for
Ukraine and said Ankara is ready to do whatever is necessary for
stability and peace in the country, with which Turkey has inked a
High Level Strategic Cooperation agreement.
The violence on Tuesday, which killed more than 20 people and wounded
hundreds, was the worst in nearly three months of anti-government
protests which have paralyzed Ukraine's capital in a struggle over
the identity of the nation. The Turkish Foreign Ministry also issued
a statement on Wednesday, calling on all sides to intensify efforts
to end the clashes in the country.
During the press conference, Davutoglu also spoke about the
normalization of relations with Armenia, saying the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem has to be solved for better ties with Armenia.
He denied reports claiming that Turkey plans to open its borders with
Armenia, saying the reports do not reflect the truth.
"Turkey's stance is clear and there is no change in our position. Our
borders with Armenia will not be opened before the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem is solved," he said.
In December, Armenian media outlets had reported Armenian Deputy
Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan as saying that Turkey should
open its closed border with Armenia if it wants to improve relations
between the two countries.
A joint statement released after the trilateral meeting said all
sides reiterated their firm support for each others' sovereignty and
territorial integrity and underlined the importance of the earliest
peaceful settlement of the conflict in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh
region of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
A bloody conflict erupted between ethnic Azerbaijanis and Armenians
in 1991 over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous, predominantly
Armenian-populated enclave within Azerbaijani borders. Armenian-backed
armed forces seized 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, killing
30,000 people. In a display of solidarity with Azerbaijan on the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Turkey closed its borders with Armenia.
Davutoglu first held separate meetings with Georgian Foreign Minister
Maia Panjikidze and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov.
The three foreign ministers later convened for a multilateral meeting
to discuss ways in which to boost regional cooperation and secure
regional stability. The Turkish, Georgian and Azerbaijani foreign
ministers also exchanged views on multilateral relations and regional
developments.
The Ganja meeting between Davutoglu, Mammadyarov and Panjikidze was
the third between the foreign ministers, who first came together for a
meeting held in the northeastern Turkish port city of Trabzon in 2012.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-339901-turkey-following-developments-in-ukraine-with-concern-says-davutoglu.html
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Feb 19 2014
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Wednesday that Turkey is
worried about the recent developments in Ukraine, one of the most
important countries along the Black Sea coast, a day after deadly
violence between riot police and protesters hit the country, leaving
at least 25 people dead and 240 injured.
"Ukraine is one of the countries with a strategic location in the
Black Sea basin. The stability of Ukraine and peace in the country is
of vital importance to the [Black Sea] region. We are following the
developments in Ukraine with concern. We want to convey our condolences
to the families of those who were killed [in the protests]," Davutoglu
said during a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani and Georgian
counterparts, underlining that public order in the country should
be restored.
Davutoglu's remarks came after a third tripartite meeting between the
foreign ministers of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia in the Azerbaijani
city of Ganja to discuss bilateral ties and regional cooperation.
During the press conference, Davutoglu extended Turkey's support for
Ukraine and said Ankara is ready to do whatever is necessary for
stability and peace in the country, with which Turkey has inked a
High Level Strategic Cooperation agreement.
The violence on Tuesday, which killed more than 20 people and wounded
hundreds, was the worst in nearly three months of anti-government
protests which have paralyzed Ukraine's capital in a struggle over
the identity of the nation. The Turkish Foreign Ministry also issued
a statement on Wednesday, calling on all sides to intensify efforts
to end the clashes in the country.
During the press conference, Davutoglu also spoke about the
normalization of relations with Armenia, saying the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem has to be solved for better ties with Armenia.
He denied reports claiming that Turkey plans to open its borders with
Armenia, saying the reports do not reflect the truth.
"Turkey's stance is clear and there is no change in our position. Our
borders with Armenia will not be opened before the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem is solved," he said.
In December, Armenian media outlets had reported Armenian Deputy
Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan as saying that Turkey should
open its closed border with Armenia if it wants to improve relations
between the two countries.
A joint statement released after the trilateral meeting said all
sides reiterated their firm support for each others' sovereignty and
territorial integrity and underlined the importance of the earliest
peaceful settlement of the conflict in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh
region of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
A bloody conflict erupted between ethnic Azerbaijanis and Armenians
in 1991 over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous, predominantly
Armenian-populated enclave within Azerbaijani borders. Armenian-backed
armed forces seized 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, killing
30,000 people. In a display of solidarity with Azerbaijan on the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Turkey closed its borders with Armenia.
Davutoglu first held separate meetings with Georgian Foreign Minister
Maia Panjikidze and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov.
The three foreign ministers later convened for a multilateral meeting
to discuss ways in which to boost regional cooperation and secure
regional stability. The Turkish, Georgian and Azerbaijani foreign
ministers also exchanged views on multilateral relations and regional
developments.
The Ganja meeting between Davutoglu, Mammadyarov and Panjikidze was
the third between the foreign ministers, who first came together for a
meeting held in the northeastern Turkish port city of Trabzon in 2012.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-339901-turkey-following-developments-in-ukraine-with-concern-says-davutoglu.html