[ 15 Apr 2009 19:24 ]
Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayev – APA. Azerbaijani and Turkish parliamentarians held a forum entitled “Turkey Azerbaijan: joint interests and problems” in Milli Majlis, (Azerbaijani Parliament), APA reports.
Members of the Turkish parliament Yilmaz Atesh, Shukry Elekdagh, Shahin Mengu from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Attila Kaya, Turna Chirkin from the National Movement Party (MHP), as well as MHP Deputy Secretary General Bulent Didinmez and Mahammad Azeri attended the forum.
Leaders of the Azerbaijan’s Ana Vatan (Motherland), Citizen Solidarity, All Azerbaijan Popular Front, Great System and Justice Party, organizers of the forum, as well as members of the parliament from New Azerbaijan and Musavat parties and independent parliamentarians also joined the meeting.
MP, Chairman of Ana Vatan Party Fazail Aghamali said the forum was organized for discussing of issues cooling relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey. He said Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) also agreed to attend the meeting, but then they didn’t come to Baku unfortunately. Aghamali said the AKP officials didn’t explain the reasons of their refusal to join the forum.
He noted that if Turkey opens borders with Armenia before the liberation of occupied Azerbaijani lands, there will be no difference between Turkey and Russia and Iran for Azerbaijan. “It is impossible to speak about the stability in the South Caucasus until the liberation of Nagorno Karabakh”.
Turkish MP from CHP Shukru Elekdagh said Turkey wanted peace, security and welfare in the South Caucasus. He reminded that Turkey closed its borders with Armenia in 1993 because of Armenia’s invasion in Azerbaijan. He said Armenia refused to fulfill US resolutions about withdrawal of its forces from the occupied Azerbaijani lands. “If the borders are opened in this situation, it will be impossible to liberate Karabakh. Turkey can’t do it. 95 percent of Turkish community doesn’t want this”.
Elekdagh said Armenia had problems not only with Azerbaijan, but other countries in the region and reminded about the Armenia’s territorial claims against Georgia and Turkey as well.
Chairman of Great System Party, MP Fazil Mustafa also noted that loss of Karabakh means Turkey’s losses in the South Caucasus. “Turkey must be interested in closing of its borders”. The lawmaker said they could sign a statement as a result of the meeting and describe the context of the forum.
Turkish MP from MHP Attila Kaya said they wanted AKP representatives to attend the forum. He said public communities of both countries were protesting the opening of Turkey-Armenia borders and it gave a result. Speaking about the history of friendship between the two countries, A. Kaya noted that one should approach equally to all the problems of Turkic world and jointly take part in their solutions.
Chairman of Civil Solidarity Party, MP Sabir Rustamkhanli proposed to often conduct such meetings between Turkish and Azerbaijani parliamentarians: “We have been talking about the establishment of Parliamentary Assembly of Trukic countries for 16 years. Despite it has been established, but does nothing at all. If this organization functioned well, such situation would not emerge”.
Acting rector of Turkish Giresun University, Azerbaijani Professor Aygun Attar noted that AKP representatives did not join this meeting. According to the professor, Armenians do not give up their genocide claims even in the time when the talks are conducted between Turkey and Armenia at present.
Chairman of United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev noted that Azerbaijan was seriously concerned about the reports on opening of Turkey-Armenia borders: “We are told that Karabakh problem remains unsolved for 16 years. The policy should be changed. It’s not right. The United States committed the biggest genocide in the world. First, they should recognize the genocides they have committed, then let them demand it from Turkey”.
Statement was made at the end of the forum. The statement was signed by 11 parties of Turkey and Azerbaijan. The statement says that the forum participants conducted detailed and productive discussions over the issue that Turkish and Azerbaijani communities are concerned about. It was reaffirmed that historical, national, religious and economic relations uniting Turkey and Azerbaijan to each other are of sustainable and constant character: “Both communities are very concerned about the spread of recent speculations on intensity of negotiations between Turkey and Armenia, establishment of diplomatic relations and opening of borders. Communities of both countries demonstrated unanimous position against this. The forum participants stressed the importance of demonstrating common position in Nagorno Karabakh, so-called “Armenian genocide”, PKK terror, North Cyprus issues”.
The statement also reads that responsible authorities, political parties and NGOs of both countries should conduct constant consultations and joint meetings in the solutions of any problems henceforth.
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