Erdogan leaves for Turkish diaspora meeting

09 March 2007
The New Anatolian / Ankara

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to leave for Azerbaijan today to attend the "First Forum of World Azerbaijani and Turkish Diaspora Organizations," which is to be held tomorrow.

The forum aims at forms and methods of cooperation of Turkish and Azeri communities in Europe, the U.S. and Canada, Asia and Australia, and Central and South America and also to note the main directions of cooperation between Turkish diaspora groups.

State Committee for Azerbaijanis Living Abroad head Nazim Ibrahimov told a press conference that a joint statement on Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan and Armenians' terror and genocide acts against Azerbaijanis, as well as protests of countries recognizing the false Armenian genocide allegations, are to be adopted in the forum.

The forum also aims to discuss the Cyprus problem and the situation of the Turkmens in northern Iraq. A Baku declaration is to be adopted at the end of the forum.

Ibrahimov stated that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat will participate in the forum.

Erdogan is to deliver the second opening speech after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the forum. He is also expected to hold several bilateral meetings during his stay in Baku.

Deep-rooted ties

"The world feels jealous of Azerbaijan's and Turkey's sharing both the grief and the happiness," Erdogan told the Azeri Press Agency before his visit to Azerbaijan.

Asked to comment on the relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan, he said that relations are growing in all spheres on the basis of deep-rooted cultural brotherhood.

"One of the architects of these relations, the great leader Haydar Aliyev, said Azerbaijan and Turkey are one nation in two independent states. This slogan came true," Erdogan said.

Underlining that Azerbaijan's energy wealth, fast developing economy, and reforms for democracy and human rights are elevating it to its deserved place, Erdogan said that implementation of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum projects shoulder-to-shoulder with Turkey's's brother Azerbaijan and neighbor Georgia will be followed by the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad project.

Asked about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Erdogan said that Turkey will not forsake this cause, adding "Turkey supports ending the occupation, which is in violation of international law. With its potential, Turkey is giving all possible support for Azerbaijan in its fair fight."

Erdogan went on to say that if Armenia gives up its current policy and takes a friendly stance, it will take a significant step toward the normalization of relations with Turkey.

"It seems to me, this move would lead to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and improving relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia," Erdogan told the agency.

Stating that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipelines and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars-Akhalkalaki railway project are building a strategic bridge between Central Asia's Turkic Republics, Azerbaijan and Turkey, Erdogan said, "I have no doubt that all sides will show the political will to develop relations on the basis of respect, equality and mutual advantage."

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.