Azerbaijan, Baku, 17 June /corr. Trend I.Alizade / As long as Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani territories are not released, the relations will not be re-established between Turkey and Armenia. "The Turkish-Armenian relations will not be re-established as long as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not resolved," Keksal Toptan, Chairman of Turkish Parliament, said on 17 June in Baku.
Keksal Toptan, Chairman of Turkish Parliament, arrived in Azerbaijan on 17 June on a three days visit. Toptan met with the Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister, Artur Rasizade and Chairman of Parliament, Oktay Asadov. He will also attend the 90th celebration of Azerbaijan Parliament.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries appeared in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenia has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani lands including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. Since 1992 to the present time, these territories have been under Armenian occupation. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a cease-fire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, France and USA) are holding peaceful negotiations.
According to Toptan, all over the world, Turkey has always supported the Nagorno-Karabakh policy of Azerbaijan and this support will be continued.
Toptan said that Turkey's policy on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is clear and concrete. "Turkey's position and policy on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will not change. At this point, we do not require other thinking. Simply Azerbaijani territories should be returned and peace should be re-established. We do not have other requirements and we do not claim for another's territories. Requiring lands belonging to us is our right. I believe that some solution will be found in the near future," he added.
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