Turkish President Welcomes His Azerbaijani Counterpart By Official Ceremony

ANKARA - Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer welcomed on Tuesday Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev by an official ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Cankaya district of Ankara.
Speaking in the ceremony, Sezer said that this first visit of Ilham Aliyev to Turkey paid after he became the President of Azerbaijan was the new and important chain of high-level meetings between two countries.
Sezer noted that friendly and fraternal ties between two countries were improving each passing day.
Turkey and Azerbaijan would undoubtedly continue their close cooperation in the future, Sezer stated.
Sezer said that Turkey closely followed developments in the South Caucasus and attached great importance to peace and stability of the region.
''Problems in this region obstructs settlement of peace, cooperation and stability. Turkey wishes that all conflicts in the South Caucasus, particularly Upper Karabakh dispute, will be solved peacefully in the possible shortest time within the scope of territorial integrity of the regional countries and international legal principles,'' Sezer stated.
Sezer said that he would take up all dimensions of bilateral relations with Aliyev and search for opportunities to further improve relations.
He would exchange views on regional problems with Aliyev, Sezer added.
Aliyev, in his part, said that Turkey was the first country which recognized Azerbaijan and Turkey had always been beside Azerbaijan till today.
Relationship and friendship between two countries were gradually improving, Aliyev stated.
Aliyev said that Azerbaijan had seen Turkey's support in its problems with Armenia, which was one of the most dangerous problems of the region.
He would be loyal to policy of his father Haydar Aliyev, the defunct and former president of Azerbaijan, to improve Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, Aliyev added.
Aliyev, who arrived in Turkish capital Ankara earlier in the day, visited Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Ataturk, Founder of Turkish Republic, before he came to the Presidential Palace to meet with Sezer.
(BRC-AY) 13.04.2004