Azerbaijan, Baku, May 26 / Trend , R. Hafizoglu/ "Let Armenia not to act in an artistic manner," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmad Davudoglu said in Baku.
"I want to assure our Azerbaijani brothers that the issues of Nagorno-Karabakh and liberation of the Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenia are very important for Turkey and let nobody doubt about it," Davudoglu told reporters after talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
"Frozen conflicts in the region are like bombs that can explode at any time," the Turkish foreign minister said. "So, the talk on resolution of the conflicts must continue," he said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenian-Turkish ties have been severed since 1993 due to Armenia's claims of an alleged genocide, and the country's occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Yerevan on Sept. 6, 2008 upon the invitation of his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan to watch an Armenia-Turkey football match.
Efforts have been made to normalize ties between the two countries ever since.
Representatives of various circles of Turkish public say the border with Armenia will re-open about which Azerbaijani public is concerned.
However, during a visit to Baku on May 12-13, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan excluded possibility of cooperation with Armenia until Azerbaijan's occupied lands are liberated.
The Turkish foreign minister laid a special emphasis on a meeting between Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents to take place in St. Petersburg in early June. "This historical moment must not be missed," Davudoglu said.
Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders plan to meet as a part of the economic forum in St. Petersburg and discuss way of resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
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