Armenia would not survive without foreign donations, foreign patrons- President Ilham Aliyev

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Premier of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a news conference upon completion of expended meeting on 27 July.

President Ilham Aliyev and Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan made statements and responded to journalists questions.

The statement of President Ilham Aliyev.

'Dear Mr. Prime Minister, my dear brother! I again congratulate you on the overwhelming victory of your party in the parliamentary elections. I am very happy that in a month after elections, you are visiting your country Azerbaijan.

The Turkish-Azerbaijani ties are currently on the highest level. These ties are strategic, based on principles of friendship and fraternity. We are bound with both historical roots and cultural ties, our past and current political interests. We are very happy that the Turkish-Azerbaijani ties are developing rapidly and the talks and conversations we held during the visit of the respected Mr.Prime Minister show that we are very close to each other.

Today it is possible to say that we have touched upon all issues of our agenda, held a wide exchange of views. We reaffirm that the political ties are on the highest level, I can say, that they are on the peak. There are wonderful prospects in economic sphere. I am very happy with the growth of trade between our countries. There are new plans and proposals. Investment proposals are being considered. Turkish companies invest in Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani companies in Turkey. Azerbaijani companies have invested over $4bn in Turkey by far. In the coming years, there is a plan to invest additional $6bn to petrochemical industry alone. Turkish companies take active part in the strategic infrastructural projects in Azerbaijan and we are satisfied with their activity.

Let me once again welcome you to Azerbaijan, welcome to our country.

We have today touched upon regional issues, discussed issues of regional security. I have again expressed Azerbaijan’s position, regarding ways of settling Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno Karabakh to the prime minister and informed about the current state of talks. I would like to say once again that Azerbaijani people and Azerbaijani state are grateful for the position Turkey takes on this issue. It is really a friendly and fraternal attitude. We appreciate it.

As is known, our lands have been under occupation for years. As a result of this occupation more than a million of Azerbaijani refugees were forced to flee their homes and turned into refugees and displaced persons. The policy of ethnic cleansing was held against use. Armenians committed genocide against Azerbaijanis. They committed the Khojaly genocide. The world community has recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh is a native and historical Azerbaijani land.

Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity must be restored. The main international organizations voiced their position on the resolution of the issue. There are four resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations Organizations. The fair resolutions passed by the OSCE, European parliament, Council of Europe, Organization of Islamic Conference are a basis for resolution of this issue.

All the same, today we have exchanged views to raising security measures in the region. We spoke of prospects of the Turkish-Azerbaijani cooperation in this issue. I would like to extend my condolence to the people of Turkey over the death of our brothers during the recent bloody terror acts. We firmly condemn the acts of the PKK terrorist organizations and have repeated voiced our stance on this issue. I would like to repeat that Azerbaijan official recognizes PKK as a terror organization and it is always next to Turkey and its people in fighting this evil. We condemn all forms of terrorism and are absolutely convinced that fighting terror can be effective only if all states will join their efforts. Meanwhile, our cooperation with Turkey in fighting terrorism and all spheres is on the high level.

Today, we have naturally touched upon energy issues. As you know, these ties have a great history. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline are functioning successfully. We have exchanged views on future prospects. These are important issues for both Turkey and Azerbaijan, they are making our countries closer. I am sure that further cooperation will also be successful.

Transport issues also occupy an important place in the ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan. Construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad is proceeding successfully. I want to say that Azerbaijan has allocated almost $800m of a loan for construction of this railroad to Georgia so that the issue is settled soon and by the end of this year the railroad was commissioned.

I have to say once again that our cooperation in all sphere is on the high level. We hope that these rates will further be preserved and Turkish-Azerbaijani ties of friendship and fraternity will grow. Thank you'.

The statement by Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan:

'Dear President, my dear brother Aliyev,
Dear media representatives!
First of all, I would like to welcome you to this meeting.

As you know, we had parliamentary elections on 12 June 2011. Traditionally, those who come to power in Turkey after elections, pay their first visit either to Azerbaijan or the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It is our tradition.

As the 37th anniversary of the struggle of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for independence marked since 1974 dated to 20 July, we paid our first visit there. And our second foreign visit is to Azerbaijan.

At the one-on-one meeting with my respected brother, we had an opportunity to consider bilateral ties and regional issues in details. Particularly, we discussed energy issues, which are among main points on the agenda. But certainly, the most important is that we had an opportunity to again discuss the issue of Nagorno Karabakh. Our position, and thoughts related to Nagorno Karabakh are as follows: Nagorno Karabakh problem is a bleeding pain for both Azerbaijan and for us. We can have no other opinion. We are watching this issue and will be watching it till the end.

Naturally, today we have discussed all issues, including military political, economic, commercial and cultural spheres. We evaluate it this way. We feel at home here like in our country. Among our next steps there will be particularly the session of the Supreme Council of Turkey-Azerbaijan strategic partnership, which we are looking forward to with excitement. During the meeting our foreign ministers will do the first step and, Inshallah, we will hold a wide-scale session.

In 2010, the trade amounted to some $2.5bn. In the first five months of this year, this indicator has reached $1.4bn. Thus, we might be able to reach the figure of $3bn by the end of this year.

All the same, the gas pipeline and the oil pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan are important in Turkish-Azerbaijani relations. I think the steps to be taken in connection with Shahdeniz-2 will become the strategic steps of two fraternal states. In this issue, the agreement between me and my brother are obvious. We have held discussions on this issue and our energy ministers continue their activity.

All the same, indeed, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad is of great important, as Dear President has said. It has continuation. It is just the first stage of work, we have set a task to extend it further to Central Asia. This goal, this big project and implementation link us strategically with its satisfactory rates of development. I consider it necessary to stress this.

On behalf of my people, I would like to extend my gratitude for the thoughts related to our martyrs and PKK terrorist organization, voiced by my dear brother. It is certainly a wonderful demonstration of other fraternity and unity. No one should ever have a doubt about it. Fighting terror must be held not in one country but worldwide, it must be joint, it is necessary to form a platform of joint struggle.

We have recently witnessed events in Norway. It is wrong to assess the massacre committed by one person against 93 people as a mere insanity or an ordinary event. Those, who have been speaking of Islamophobia, do not pay attention to this, they still are unable to say what is necessary to say. However they hide this issue, this shows that the happening is a response to their unwise thoughts. Probably, our girl died here. Yesterday, I talked to her parents, they are still hopeful and they are waiting for their daughter to come back. We also hope that she did not die and she will return to her parents and her people. But if she is dead, I pray to Allah to rest her soul.

It all shows that we must be together against such events in the world. I believe that Turkey’s difficulties in this issues are Azerbaijan’s difficulties. If Azerbaijan has such difficulties connected with terror, they will become our difficulties. We will overcome this stage hand-in-hand with Azerbaijan.

Investments of our entrepreneurs to Azerbaijan are satisfactory.

The thoughts of dear president in this connection certainly reflect the processes ongoing here much better. And we really fell satisfied over this.

I think that our current visit was very fruitful. The meetings between our relations were also effective. I think that the upcoming stage will also be very effective.

I am thankful to all press representatives-my friends'.

XXX

Mr. Prime Minister, how do you assess Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s remarks that "We occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, and let the next generation occupy Agri-Dag?" Besides, can we expect intensified policies of the new Turkish government towards Armenia?

Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Dear friends, I made a statement on this issue yesterday [26 July]. Our Foreign Ministry has also issued a strong statement in this regard. I will make another statement today in response to your question.

This is not the way of expression and not the form of an approach that befits a statesman or a president. A statesman ought not to inculcate enmity and hatred in future generations. What Serzh Sargsyan did is incitement, an attempt to instill a sense of anger and hatred in young people. What will be the future of the Armenian youth in this case? If this continues like this, it will be dark and they will always look at these events through dark glasses. They must know about it.

At present the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is occupied, and the occupants are known. Not only we, but the United Nations also says this. This has been proved. This issue must be settled. So far the Armenian side has demonstrated a negative approach to its resolution while Azerbaijan has always come up with a positive approach.

"Now you got Nagorno-Karabakh from us. We will die and you will occupy Agri?" Is this logic? What is this concept? How can you show such a path to young people and delineate such horizons?

What does this mean? "Hey, young people, Armenia may wage a war with Turkey in any form after that." We denounce all of it. There can be no such public figure or such diplomacy. Sargsyan has made a serious mistake. He himself confirmed the historical mistake. He should apologize and correct this mistake.

Ilham Aliyev: I would like to add. In fact, I did not expect anything better from Sargsyan since I have met with numerous times.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan: I do not know him well like you do.

Ilham Aliyev: I am well aware of his way of thinking. In fact, it shows the aggressive nature of Armenia. This country is in the grip problems. Tens of thousand of people are leaving this country. The country's economy is in full crisis. There is poverty, destitution and hopelessness. There is no any normal enterprise. This country would not survive without foreign donations, foreign patrons. With 1.8 million population, these people put claim to ancestral, historical lands of Turkey.

They believe that they have settled Nagorno-Karabakh issue. They are wrong. Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijani land and it still remains to be Azerbaijani land. Time will come when Azerbaijan will restore its sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh via peaceful or military means.

How can you make territorial claim to such a great country like Turkey? This simply shows that there is something wrong with these people. They do not live in a real world, but in a dream world created by them. They need to wake up, to return to the real world and at least compare themselves with Turkey. You can not compare an elephant with an ant.