An Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation has arrived in the Turkish-controlled Republic of Northern Cyprus to participate in the 47th anniversary of the Turkish military’s entry into Cyprus, reports the Greek City Times newspaper, adding that as a result of that invasion 200,000 Greeks became refugees, thousands of people were killed and hundreds of women were raped.
Receiving the delegation of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis committee on international relations and interparliamentary ties, led by Samet Seyidov, the leader of the Turkish-speaking community, Ersan Saner, expressed the conviction that Azerbaijan will recognise the Republic of Northern Cyprus. For now, the Turkish state of Cyprus has been recognised only by Turkey, contrary to UN Security Council resolutions 541 and 550.
Seyidov stated that Azerbaijan will defend the rights and justice of Northern Cyprus within the Council of Europe and stressed that on the Cyprus question there is neither government nor opposition in Azerbaijan.
“This is our land. In the Turkish world there is Turkey, there is Azerbaijan and there is Northern Cyprus,” said the head of the Azerbaijani delegation, adding that they want Northern Cyprus to be strong, for which it is necessary that Turkey, Azerbaijan and Northern Cyprus be together.
The newspaper recalled that despite Turkey’s promises to support Azerbaijan in the Mediterranean, the Greek ambassador in Baku last week visited the areas of Nagorno-Karabakh that have come under Azerbaijani control, and added that Azerbaijan’s invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh led to such war crimes as beheadings, the use of white phosphorus, the targeting of churches and the targeting of journalists.
