AZERI, TURKISH PRESIDENTS CONCUR ON KARABAKH, CYPRUS, KURDISH ISSUES
ANS TV
Nov 6 2007
Azerbaijan
[Presenter Yelena Sidorenko] Turkish President Abdullah Gul has paid
his first official visit to Azerbaijan after his election. Following
the official welcoming ceremony at the presidential administration,
President Abdullah Gul had a one-to-one meeting with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev. Then the talks continued in the presence
of delegations.
Azerbaijani-Turkish relations are at a high level and cover all
spheres, President Ilham Aliyev said. The fact that Turkish President
Abdullah Gul paid his first official visit to Azerbaijan is the most
vivid example that mutual respect between the two countries is at
the highest level, he added.
Abdullah Gul started his speech by recalling [the late Azerbaijani
President] Heydar Aliyev’s idea of one nation – two states. We feel
at home. This is my first visit to a foreign country in the capacity
of Turkish president and this shows how much importance we attach to
Azerbaijan, end quote.
Following the expanded meeting, five documents on cooperation were
signed with the two presidents in attendance, including the declaration
of the two presidents on strategic partnership.
At a news conference held after that, Ilham Aliyev and Abdullah Gul
said Azerbaijan and Turkey have the same positions on all political
and economic matters.
[Ilham Aliyev speaking in Azeri at the news conference] Turkey’s
role in the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict over Nagornyy Karabakh has
been very positive. It has always supported Azerbaijan’s just and
fair position and has made efforts to make the aggressors pull out
of Azerbaijani territory. We feel this support today and it gives
us extra strength. At the same time, Azerbaijan has always stood by
Turkey’s just policy. We resolutely condemn all groundless allegations
of the Armenian lobby and Armenia against Turkey. We expressed our
protest over the recent debates in the US House of Representatives
Committee on Foreign Affairs and the unfair decision that they
made [referring to the draft resolution on recognition of the 1915
Armenian genocide]. We believe that an end must be put to groundless
accusations against Turkey. They are neither historically justified,
nor politically significant. On all other matters, the Cyprus issue
[changes tack] – Azerbaijan has and will continue to display its
support to end the isolation of Northern Cyprus. This issue has to
be resolved fairly on the basis of the proposals of the United Nations.
We support Turkey’s struggle against terrorism, all operations against
the PKK terrorist organization. We will always stand by Turkey.
[Abdullah Gul speaking in Turkish] We have considered within this
framework the joint steps that we can take for a peaceful solution
to all problems in the South Caucasus, starting with the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict. We wish that the Nagornyy Karabakh is resolved
peacefully within the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity
and in line with international legal norms. I would like to emphasize
once more that Turkey is ready to provide as much support as it can
in order to achieve and maintain a lasting peace in the South Caucasus.
Turkey and Azerbaijan share the same position on achieving peace,
stability, prosperity and cooperation in the South Caucasus. I
thank brotherly Azerbaijan for the support it has extended to making
investments in and putting an end to the isolation of the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus.