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Abdullah Gul: â€œArmenia knows that the occupied territories belong to Azerbaijanâ€

25 January 2011 14:54 (UTC +04:00)

To the French deputyâ€™s question â€œWhy doesnâ€™t Turkey want to recognize the 1915 events as genocide?â€ Gul answered that Turkey supports the formation of good relationships with all neighbor countries: â€œYou are informed of Turkeyâ€™s foreign policy. Turkey conducts foreign policy course with its neighbors based on zero problem. Armenia is also our neighbor and we have lived together for thousand years in peaceful condition except several years of painful events. We have common culture, common ideas. We wish to improve our relations with Armenia. I was the first Turkish president who visited Armenia, and in my letter to the Armenian president I noted the importance of courageous measures in order to normalize the relationsâ€.

Gul said that the main purpose is the normalization of the relations and their political will is towards this direction. â€œAs you know the both countries signed the protocols. We wish these protocols to be ratified. UN Security Councilâ€™s resolutions condemned the fact of occupation of 20% territories of Azerbaijan by Armenia and demanded to end this occupation. It is impossible to put it aside as a useless event. If you say â€œYou donâ€™t ratify these protocols because of occupation of Azerbaijani territoriesâ€, it means you also donâ€™t give importance to this issue, which is contrary to the principles of both the Council of Europe and UN. Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity is recognized by everyone. Even Armenia knows that the occupied territories belong to Azerbaijan. It is important to turn the Caucasus into the region based on secure cooperation. It is needed to make this geography, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, and Russia the region of secure cooperation. The Caucasus will remain a wall between Europe and Asia while these problems exist. But if the security will be ensured and the problems will be solved here, the Caucasus will turn into great bridge between Europe and Asia, the welfare and the economics of the Caucasus will quickly develop. Thatâ€™s why we all need to make efforts in order to solve these problems. We have a great political will in this sphere. We hope that, the problems in the region will find its solution and the Caucasus will turn into the region of high-level cooperation and development. We are committed to our steps taken so far and will continue thisâ€.