PACE urges Armenia to vacate occupied territories

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has urged Armenia to vacate the occupied territories in order to normalize relations with Turkey. The main condition for Turkey to normalize relations with Armenia is the liberation of occupied Azerbaijani territories, the head of PACE Movlud Chavushoglu told the press conference on the "Role of Turkey in
the EU", Trend reports.

"Turkey wants to develop cooperation with all neighbouring countries: European countries - in the west, with its neighbours and the Islamic world - in the east. But the main condition for normalizing relations with Armenia is the liberation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Once this condition is fulfilled, the relationship with Armenia will normalize", Chavushoglu said.

Armenia has failed to implement UN Security Council resolutions stipulating the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions. Chavushoglu in his speech touched on the issue of a possible "change of direction in foreign policy" of Turkey to the East, naming such statements merely baseless and speculative talk.