Fraternal Azerbaijan's interests always to be taken into account: Turkish FM

"Azerbaijan always was and is a fraternal country for Azerbaijan," Davutoglu told journalists at a news conference on May 24 as part of the 36th meeting of the Organization for Islamic Conference (OIC) Foreign Ministers in Damascus. "This was so earlier and will be in future, as well and nobody can have doubt on it."

The minister said Turkey and Azerbaijan are closely cooperating. "In this regard, my visit to Azerbaijan will be the second trip abroad after participating in the meeting of the OIC Foreign Ministers," Davutoglu said.

On May 25, the Turkish foreign minister will leave Damascus for Baku. Davutolgu will meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov which will focus on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Recently, there have been some advances in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, Davutoglu said  

A 17-year status of the frozen conflict does not meet demands of both Azerbaijan and Turkey from a point of view of occupation of the Azerbaijani lands, Davutoglu said.

"We have used all our opportunities to return the Azerbaijani lands and resolve the conflict as part of the international legal norms," he said.

Davutolgu said a hope aroused after the Prague process. "We hope the mediation to assist in solution of this frozen conflict which will satisfy both the sides," he said.

Davutoglu believes the OSCE Minsk Group has not reached breakthrough in the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Turkey is a part of the Minsk Group, but the United States, Russia and France fulfill a key task.

"This issue has received a status of the frozen conflict and we must change this situation," he said.

The minister said Turkey is strengthening its activity in Caucasus. "We want to make the Caucasus as the region of stability and cooperation as part of the Caucasus Security Platform," he said.

/Trend News/