Turkey always stands by Azerbaijan: Turkish spokesman

By Ruslan Rehimov

BAKU (AA) - Turkey will always continue to support Azerbaijan as it has in the past, Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said late Friday.

Kalin appeared on a television program on Azerbaijan state television via the internet to evaluate Turkey-Azerbaijan relations.

"Our alliance against all kinds of enemies, our common steps against all kinds of friends will continue," he said.

On the Upper Karabakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) issue, Kalin said if Azerbaijan suffered any attacks, Turkey would continue to support Azerbaijan in its power.

On international efforts to resolve the crisis in the region, he said the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, co-chaired by France, Russia, and the US, has not produced desired results and does not contribute to the liberation of Karabakh from Armenian occupation.

Asked why efforts are inadequate, Kalin said there are countries that want to take advantage of the crisis and occupation by sustaining the problem.

"Is there a problem of neutrality or a strategic perspective? Everyone knows that Nagorno-Karabakh is under Armenian occupation. The solution is obvious. Why not take this road, why not enough pressure on Armenia," he said.

He said Turkey supports peaceful solutions in the framework of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.

The occupation of Armenia must end for the establishment of peace and stability in the Caucasus, he added.

Asked about the approach of Turkey to Armenia, Kalin said if the crisis between Azerbaijan and Armenia is resolved, normalization with Armenia may be pursued.

Until then, Turkey will not accept plans or agreements that Azerbaijan would not accept, he stressed.

He also said strong ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan, including, economic, cultural, security and energy would continue to develop.

In July, attacks by the Armenian martyred a dozen Azerbaijani soldiers. However, they have since withdrawn after suffering losses following retaliation from the Azerbaijani military.

Since 1991, the Armenian military has illegally occupied the Upper Karabakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) region, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

Four UN Security Council and two UN General Assembly resolutions, as well as decisions by international organizations, refer to the illegal occupation and demand the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Upper Karabakh and seven other occupied regions of Azerbaijan.

*Writing by Fahri Aksut