Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 21 / Trend E.Ismayilov /
Persons who intend to damage the Ankara-Baku relations should not be given any chance, Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilich said.
"No chance should be given to those desiring to damage the Ankara-Baku relations. We should ignore persons who want to damage our relations," Kilich told journalists on Oct.21.
Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers, Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocol in Zurich on Oct. 10.
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.
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
Turkey was and will always be next to Azerbaijan, the ambassador added.
"We are compatriots and the Turkey-Armenia borders were closed because of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. The borders will not be disclosed until the Nagorno-Karabakh problem is resolved. Turkey will never take steps contradicting to Azerbaijani interests, Kilich said.
According to Kilich, the Azerbaijani people should trust in statements of Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Turkish Prime Minister Receb Tayyib Erdogan.
"I state insistently that the Turkish people's position will be shown in the parliament and the parliament will not ratify the protocols," Kilich added.
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