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Deniz Baykal: â€œI apologize to Azerbaijani Peopleâ€

28 April 2009 14:43 (UTC +04:00)

We are relating our relations with Armenia with Barack Obamaâ€™s April 24 message to have an impact on this message. Despite our greatest concession â€“ the unconditional talks with Armenia, we couldnâ€™t influence to the US Presidentâ€™s message, but could violate our relationship with Azerbaijanâ€, said leader of Turkeyâ€™s Republican People Party (CHP) Deniz Baykal in his speech at the parliamentary faction meeting. Baykal said the governmentâ€™s announcement in the night on April 22 about its agreement with Armenia didnâ€™t effect on the Obamaâ€™s message on so-called â€œgenocideâ€, and in contrary, made it stronger than messages of his predecessors. Baykal said not only the government of Azerbaijan, but the society was also offended. â€œThe Azerbaijani People expressed it friendly, but Prime Minister Erdogan called the Azerbaijani lawmakers visited Turkey as â€œprovocateursâ€. It doesnâ€™t become the Turkish Prime Minister to say that. I apologize to the Azerbaijani People for the Prime Ministerâ€™s words. We know that they are not provocateurs, they were only offended and we understand that. They donâ€™t need to magnify this offense and they must know that AKP is temporary, but Turkish-Azerbaijani friendship is eternalâ€.

The opposition leader strongly criticized the Erdoganâ€™s policy and said his government always left with empty pockets. â€œThe Prime Minister is always supporting the principle of â€œwin for both sidesâ€, but always losing the discussionsâ€.