Gul: We Think Foreign Ministers Of Turkey, Azerbaijan And Armenia Will Hold
A Trilateral Meeting For Solution Of Upper Karabakh Issue
Anadolu Agency: 4/19/2004
ANKARA – Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul
said on Monday that Turkey was holding talks both with Azerbaijan and
Armenia for solution of Upper Karabakh issue, stating that rumors which said
that border between Turkey and Armenia would be opened before solution of
the issue were not true.
Gul replied to questions of the A.A correspondent.
When the A.A correspondent said that there were rumors especially in
Azerbaijan which said that border between Turkey and Armenia would be
opened, Gul said, ”this is out of question. People in Azerbaijan are
discussing this issue very much. Azerbaijani reporters also ask this
question whenever we meet.”
Stating that they believed that Upper Karabakh issue should not be left as
an abandoned issue as there was an occupation, Gul said, ”we think this
issue should be discussed and it should be solved.”
Turkey was holding talks both with Azerbaijan and Armenia for solution of
Upper Karabakh issue, he stated and noted, ”we think of holding a
trilateral meeting on this issue in the following months.”
Gul stressed that Turkey was trying to play a catalyst role, stating that
they wanted the issue to be solved peacefully. Gul said that although Turkey
and Armenia have not recognized each other officially yet, he met with
Armenian foreign minister under international and regional meetings three
times last year.
Foreign Minister Gul said that they thought that foreign ministers of
Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan would hold a trilateral meeting before NATO
summit in Istanbul in June and added that Armenia would attend summit in
Istanbul under Caucasian countries related to NATO.
(EÖ-AY) 19.04.2004