Representatives of three Turkish giant political parties – AKP, CHP and MHP evaluate relations with Armenia and latest developments in the region.
“The Caucasus is very important region in the context of international peace. Permanent peace in the region has great importance for Azerbaijan and Turkey. I attach significance to prospective views on this issue. It needs to have serious political will to reach permanent peace. It is impossible to review the relations just in the context of bilateral relations currently. Therefore it needs to reach extensive consensus for permanent peace process in the region. In this context, fair solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is very important. I hope we will see concrete steps in this issue”, member of the Turkish parliament from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) from Ankara, member of the Foreign Relations Commission of the Turkish parliament Zeynep Dagi told APA. Answering the question about the development of Turkish-Armenian Zurich protocols signed on October 10, 2009, she said permanent peace in the region will be in favor of both Armenia and Azerbaijan. “This region is an important corridor for the Eurasian energy resources. If there is peace in the region, everyone will win. De-facto occupation of Karabakh lands is the biggest obstacle for peace in the region. Lifting this obstacle will pave the way for building new future in the region”.
Former chief of the staff of Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, member of the Turkish parliament from the Republican People Party (CHP) from Bursa Onur Oymen said there were initiatives to revive Zurich protocols: “We know that Switzerland and some US non-governmental organizations leading the Turkish –Armenian rapprochement feel the pulse to put the protocols on agenda again. We are closely following this issue. There is no reason to put the protocols on agenda now because Armenia didn’t make step back and didn’t withdraw troops from the Azerbaijani lands and every day fire on the positions of Azerbaijani side. How they can put the protocols on agenda in this atmosphere? There is a decision of the Armenian Constitutional Court. It wouldn’t be correct to discuss the protocols again after this decision. Turkey has lost much within this year,” he said. Former ambassador considers that the protocols should be annulled. “But the government does not take this step. Under the present circumstances Armenia has no intention to step back. It would be a big mistake to expect something from them. Our duty is to achieve complete withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories. Our government has put this aside and is trying to improve the relations with Armenia. This is a wrong policy,” he said.
Parliamentarian from Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), former Health Minister Osman Durmus said they would raise issue in the parliament for the annulment of the protocols. “Our honorable chairman Devlet Bahceli said in his speech at the Alican border checkpoint that diplomatic relations will not be established with Armenia unless the occupied Azerbaijani territories are released. Azerbaijan is our native brother. Our neighbor, which does not come to its senses, is Armenia. Will we open our door to Armenia, which burned our children, old people, women, occupied one fifth of Azerbaijan? It will not happen. The MHP will not allow it. This is the betrayal to Turks. MHP’s desire coincides with the desire of our Azerbaijani brothers. I had meetings with the late Heydar Aliyev. The late Elchibey was my patient. When I was Health Minister I had very close relations with Azerbaijan. We prefer our brotherhood with Azerbaijan to everything. Therefore, MHP will not admit the international community’s pressure on Turkey. Let all our brothers know it,” he said. Osman Durmus said he will remind the party leader of the necessity of annulling the protocols. “I will tell it to our chairman and together with our parliamentarian from Istanbul Atilla Kaya we will send a questionnaire to the parliament. But this government will not annul the protocols, because they consider themselves the cleverest,” he said.
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