Turkish ambassador: Turkey true to letter and spirit of Zurich protocols

Ankara expected the right decision from Yerevan on Zurich protocols, however, Armenia should comment on its position itself, Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilich told journalists today.

According to him, Ankara is true to the spirit and logic of the signed protocols, and always will.

"We are the countries of one region, we are neighbours. Turkey can not remain indifferent to the region's problems. The reasons, for which we closed the border with Armenia in 1993, are well known," - Kilich said.  

Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10.  President Serzh Sargsyan addressed with a statement on suspension of the Armenia-Turkey Protocols' ratification April 23.

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey have been frozen due to Armenia's claims of an alleged genocide and its occupation of Azerbaijani lands. The border between them has been closed since 1993.

According to Kilic, Turkey's active participation in the processes occurring in the region, should not bother anyone.

"We support peace and harmony in the Caucasus. We are against the situation where one "window" is open, and others - are closed. We stand for something, to stay open all windows to both processes run simultaneously. We stand for all 'windows' to remain open, both processes to be held in parallel. We are ardent supporters of friendship, peace"- Kilic stressed.

Regarding the steps that Turkey plans to take in the future, Hulusi Kilic said that Ankara will not rush through action.

"On the other hand, we hope that more serious steps are taken on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and Azerbaijan's occupied territories. Depending on the outcome, we'll decide what to do next," - Kilic said.


/Trend/