Azerbaijan, Baku, 26 November / Trend corr. A.Huseynbala/ The Azerbaijani opposition party supports Turkey to be more active in policy of South Caucasus and to develop relations with Armenia.
"Both Turkey and Armenia are greatly interested in negotiations between themselves," Isa Gambar, leader of Musavat Party, told Trend on 26 November.
Relations between Armenia and Turkey were broken off in 1993, as Armenia has held a campaign against Turkey in the international arena with false Armenian genocide claims and has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani territory. Turkish President Abdullah Gul received Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's invitation and left for Yerevan to watch a football match between the National teams of Armenia and Turkey under qualification stage of the European Championship on 6 September in 2008.
Diplomatic efforts are being made to normalize relations between two countries after Gul's visit. At the same time, Turkey seeks to mediate in settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Ali Babacan, Turkish Foreign Minister, organized a meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers in New York at the end of October. A trilateral meeting is expected to take place again soon.
According to Gambar, Armenia's one of interests in development of relations with Turkey is to make Nagorno-Karabakh a matter of second importance in Turkey's foreign policy priorities.
" Armenia wants that steps, which will meet Armenia's interest, should be taken in settlement of other problems with Turkey, by freezing situation on solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem," Gambar said. Therefore, governmental officials and politicians of Turkey should not enable to realize Armenia's intention to make Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, which contradict Armenia's interests, a matter of second importance, the leader of Musavat said.
Opposition Musavat party was founded in Baku in October 1911. The third (restoration) sitting of Musavat party was held on 7 November 1992 in Republican Palace in Baku. Gambar was elected head of the Musavat party in a landslide in a secret vote.
Gambar was the speaker of Azerbaijani Parliament from 1992 to 1993. In 2003, he ran for presidency. The party is represented by 4 MPs in the Parliament.
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