remark Archives

Turkey has summoned the United States’ ambassador to Ankara, John Bass, to express the government’s disturbance over statements issued by Washington that suggested a loose agreement had been reached between Turkey and the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) group, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

“It has been underlined that such statements are by no means acceptable and that they do not comply with the alliance relationship,” read a statement issued by Tanju Bilgiç, spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, late on Aug. 30.

Bilgiç’s statement came after Ash Carter, the U.S. secretary of defense; Brett McGurk, the U.S. special envoy to coordinate the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL); and spokespersons from the Department of Defense and the White House each urged Turkey to stop clashing with the PYD in northern Syria.

Turkey’s concerns over such remarks were dispatched to Bass by Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry Ferdiun Sinirlioğlu on Aug. 30.

“The objectives of the Euphrates Shield Operations are known,” Bilgiç said, adding that Turkey would continue until all “terror groups” are pushed away from the Turkish border so that they will not be able to “pose a threat to Turkish citizens.”

Bilgiç also reiterated Turkey’s expectation that the U.S. would keep its word that PYD forces would be withdrawn to the east of the Euphrates.

May 31, 2014 | 18:29

YEREVAN. – The remark voiced by President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev was unpleasant, but it will not harm Armenia’s accession, President Serzh Sargsyan said during a meeting with RPA youth branch in Tsakhkadzor.

During the meeting, President Sargsyan was asked about Nazarbayev’s remark on Karabakh duirng the meeting of Supreme Council of the Eurasian Economic Union in Astana. Nazarbayev spoke about the letter by President Ilham Aliyev calling to to accept Armenia only within its internationally recognized borders.

“First of all I want to say there is no obstacle to Armenia’s accession to Customs Union. When we stated there are 2-3 issues left, we meant 2-3 technical problems regarding trade relations. As to Nazarbayev’s remark, it is wrong to speak about borders. What borders do you mean? Karabakh issue is not to be settled in Customs Union. Who said we are going to join Customs Union together with Karabakh? This cannot happen, as Karabakh, at least according to our legislation and at least in our perception, is not a part of Armenia. And, accession to the Customs Union obviously contributes to settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Of course, Nazarbayev’s remark was unpleasant, but it will not damage anything,” he said.

The congress of RPA young leaders brought together 260 members who will discuss cooperation and internal problems.