ARMENIAN PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT ON NON-PARTICIPATION IN NATO ISTANBUL SUMMIT MADE "FOR INTERNAL USE", TURKISH MF CONSIDERS

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish FM Abdullah Gul said that the Armenian President's statement regarding non-participation in the upcoming NATO Istanbul summit was made "for internal use", A. Gul briefed in Moscow after the meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. To remind, on May 10 the Armenian President's press secretary reported that Robert Kocharian will not take part in the June NATO summit in Istanbul "due to the present condition of the Armenian-Turkish relationships". Gul underscored that not Turkey but NATO initiated to hold the summit in Istanbul. "The Armenian representation in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization is functioning in Istanbul. Is Armenia going to close it too? I suppose that the President issued this non-participation statement for internal use alone", the Turkish foreign minister said.