Azernews.Az

Turkey will never neglect the interests of Azerbaijan in the process of normalizing relations with Armenia, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted as saying by Cihan agency.
"Turkey will continue to provide unstinting support to Azerbaijan, with which it always had special relations," Davutoglu said, adding that the Turkish government's position on normalization of relations with Armenia remains unchanged.
He said that the signing of protocols on mending ties with Armenia is Ankara's important step to establish peace and stability in South Caucasus, but it is not enough.
"It is necessary to resolve the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan for lasting peace and stability in the region," Davutoglu said.
Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10, 2009 to normalize bilateral relations, broken in 1993. The protocols must be ratified by the parliaments of both countries to go into effect.
The Turkish government stated that relations between Ankara and Yerevan will be restored only after Armenia liberates Azerbaijani occupied territories. In April, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree to suspend the ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols in the parliament.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Despite numerous rounds of OSCE-brokered negotiations, peace talks have been fruitless so far.