Azeri opposition leader, Turkish foreign minister discuss ties, regional
policy
Azadliq, Baku
21 Jun 05
Excerpt from unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq on
21 June headlined “Ali Karimli met Abdullah Gul in Turkey”
The chairman of the PFAP [People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party], MP Ali
Karimli, who is visiting Turkey, met this country’s foreign minister
Abdullah Gul in Istanbul yesterday [20 June]. Journalists were not
allowed to attend the meeting.
The meeting focused on Turkish-Azerbaijani relations and Ankara’s
participation in regional democratic processes, Ali Karimli told
journalists after the meeting.
Karimli said that he had open and fruitful discussions with the
Turkish foreign minister whom he has known for a long time.
“I knew Abdullah bay [form of address] as an active politician with
democratic views even before the AKP [Justice and Development Party]
came to power. I knew in advance that he would assist us in developing
Azerbaijani-Turkish relations and democratizing Azerbaijan.
“The meeting first of all focused on relations between our
countries. We talked about the further development of these relations
and the necessity of the two countries’ work in co-ordination with
each other maintaining similar positions on the Karabakh issue, the
‘Armenian genocide’, integration into Europe and problems in the
Middle East,” Karimli said.
Karimli said that he had also briefed the Turkish foreign minister on
the struggle of the PFAP and its allies for restoring democracy in
Azerbaijan. The PFAP chairman drew Gul’s attention to the fact that
the November parliamentary elections was a chance for Azerbaijan.
“We do not want to miss this chance. I also told esteemed Gul that we
wanted Turkey to be actively involved in this process and in general,
Ankara should develop its Caucasus policy.
“In turn, Gul promised to closely watch the Azerbaijani parliamentary
elections to ensure that they are democratic and develop Turkey’s
policy on Azerbaijan,” Karimli said.
[Passage omitted: Karimli and Gul to meet again in Ankara in a week,
the former to deliver a speech on the situation and prospects for
democracy in Azerbaijan at a conference in Istanbul]