ANKARA SAYS ARMENIA SHOULD WITHDRAW TROOPS FROM AZERBAIJAN’S OCCUPIED LANDS

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Dec 9 2013

9 December 2013, 15:51 (GMT+04:00)
By Sara Rajabova

The normalization of relations between Ankara and Yerevan depends on
establishment of peace in the South Caucasus.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made the remark while
answering the questions of Haberturk TV channel.

“Even if Turkey and Armenia restore normal diplomatic relations,
they can be severed at any time without the peace in South Caucasus,”
Davutoglu said.

The minister noted that today solid relations have been created in
the region among Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia. “If not to consider
the relations between Yerevan and Moscow, we can say that Armenia is
in isolation,” Davutoglu added.

Davutoglu emphasized that Ankara is not a supporter of such a
situation, but if Armenia intends to get out of its isolation, it
must withdraw from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

The Turkish Government has repeatedly stated that Ankara’s position
with regard to the Turkish-Armenian and Azerbaijani-Armenian
relations is clear and specific. Only after the liberation of the
occupied Azerbaijani territories can one talk about normalization of
Turkish-Armenian relations.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally
recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent
regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus
neighbor that caused a brutal war in the early 1990s. Long-standing
efforts by US, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless
so far.

As a result of the military aggression of Armenia, over 20,000
Azerbaijanis were killed, 4,866 are reported missing and almost
100,000 were injured, and 50,000 were disabled.

The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on Armenian
withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been
enforced to this day.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress