Azerbaijan, Baku, April 23 /Trend, U.Sadikhova/
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's last visit to the U.S. showed that Ankara will not succumb to pressure, the chairman of the Turkey-Azerbaijan parliamentary group, MP Mustafa Kabakchi said.
"Turkey is not as before, and will not retreat before any threats, Kabakchi said. - The government has repeatedly stated that it feels responsible for the entire Turkic world."
Therefore, according to the Turkish MP, the decision of the Armenian leadership to freeze the process of normalizing relations with Turkey will not affect the position of Ankara.
On April 22, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on suspension of the Armenia-Turkey Protocols' ratification at the Parliament.
Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey were broken due to Armenian claims of an alleged genocide and its occupation of Azerbaijani lands. Their border closed in 1993.
Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan's message to nation says that Armenia has decided not to exit the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, but rather, to suspend the procedure of ratifying the Protocols. The president believes this to be in the best interests of nation.
"These statements will have no effect on the position of Turkey. If in certain matters the thoughts are clear, and the position is open, then there will be no doubt on the decisions made and nothing can be diverted from its chosen path," said Kabakchi.
Therefore, Turkey's position in the process of normalizing relations with Armenia and its commitment to the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will remain unchanged, says MP.
"Turkey believes the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is one of the problems of the Turkic world and continues to oppose against the occupation, and therefore, the statements of Armenia do not worry us, said Kabakchi. - Ankara knows what it wants in the Caucasus: ending the occupation, the return of Azerbaijani refugees to their land and stabilizing the region through peaceful means. "
He said the firm position that Prime Minister Erdogan took over the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and normalization of relations with Armenia testifies the decisive steps of Turkey, therefore, attempting to pressure is excluded.
"The statement that Erdogan made in Baku [opening borders with Armenia only after the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict], he repeated in the U.S. and Europe. Therefore, Turkey is decisive in its actions, said Kabakchi. - Armenia still can not refuse pressure of diasporas.