The French National Assembly’s draft law considering punishment for non-recognition of 1915 events in the Ottoman Empire as genocide is a step taken against both Turkey and Azerbaijan.
The territories of Azerbaijan was occupied, this country faced with massacres in the beginning and end of the 20th century and gave thousands of martyrs”, said member of the Turkish parliament and former chairman of the Azerbaijan-Turkey inter-parliamentary friendship Mustafa Kabakci.
Kabakci said Turkey and Azerbaijan are two brother countries and it was time to prove this brotherhood and take the steps arising from this brotherhood. “Of course, we wouldn’t like that Azerbaijan to plunge into fire for us”.
MP said the expectations were caused by the interests of both Turkey and Azerbaijan. “France always took pro-Armenian stand, but by this action it officially declared that it is not neutral and it supports the Armenian claims and position. France can not continue its co-chairmanship in the OSCE Minsk Group. The country, imposing ban on speaking about the historical disputes and expressing different ideas, can not be a neutral mediator in the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Therefore Azerbaijan must demand withdrawal of France from the Minsk Group chairmanship”.
Kabakci considers that if Turkey had accepted the international community’s demand “Open the border with Armenia”, France would not have passed this decision.
“Turkey has always supported Azerbaijan and promised that it will not take a step contradicting Azerbaijan’s interests and has always kept its promise. Despite the world’s pressures, Turkey keeps and will keep its promise by refusing to ratify the protocols, because Turkey sees Azerbaijan’s problems as its own problems. This is one of the reasons why France passed this groundless decision. France is concerned that Turkey, which is developing rapidly and has its say in the world, supports Azerbaijan in Nagorno Karabakh problem and other issues, so, France wants to teach Turkey and Azerbaijan a lesson. Azerbaijan should take necessary steps. First of all, we expect Azerbaijan to demand withdrawal of France from the Minsk Group co-chairmanship, to support Turkey’s demand. If the demand on withdrawal is not fulfilled, Azerbaijan may refuse to attend the meetings of the Minsk Group,” he said.
Kabakci says that in order to demonstrate its ticklish approach to this issue, Azerbaijan may recall its Ambassador to France for consultations.
“Azerbaijan may also issue a message to review its economic relations with France. These are the steps that the Turkish people expect from Azerbaijan. The Turkish people reacted to the claims on opening of the border with Armenia, demanded the government not to open the borders, and now they expect Azerbaijan to take a number of steps. Azerbaijan should take these expectations into consideration,” he said.
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