BAKU - Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said on Friday that Turkey was always beside Azerbaijan's rightful cases and added that two countries had strategic relations.
Cicek, who visited Azerbaijani National Assembly Chairman Murtuz Aleskerov, noted that this was his first visit to Azerbaijan and emphasized that Turkey attached great importance to relations with Azerbaijan.
Referring to Upper Karabakh issue, Cicek said, ''we want the issue to be solved peacefully. And, we support Azerbaijan in this respect.''
Aleskerov said, ''if a peaceful solution is not found to Upper Karabak issue, Azerbaijani people and state will use other ways for solution.''
The Upper Karabakh issue continued for 10 years, Aleskerov noted.
Stating that they wanted peaceful solution to save the lands under Armenian occupation, Aleskerov said that peaceful solution methods had not been exhausted yet.
Aleskerov said that despite United Nations (U.N.) Security Council resolution and efforts of OSCE Minsk Group who undertook duty of mediation for solution, no result had been gained.
They would not permit continuation of the current situation, Aleskerov emphasized.
Touching on bilateral relations, Aleskerov said, ''Turkish-Azerbaijani friendship and brotherhood is eternal.''
Aleskerov stated that relations with Turkey would be strengthened with Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline.
(BRC-AÖ) 04.07.2003