Armen Martirosyan: RA President has no right to speak for NKR

March 24, 2010 - 17:33 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement on possible exile of 100 thousand illegal Armenian workers targeted the Turkish population, according Armen Martirosyan, chairman of Heritage opposition party.

"Erdogan wants to preclude victory of nationalists at the next parliamentary elections," Mr. Martirosyan told reporters on Wednesday.

He also slammed the interview Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan gave to Syrian Al-Watan daily. "The talks on liberated territories should be held by Nagorno Karabakh but not by Armenian President, who has no right to speak for NKR," he said.

"When the people of Nagorno Karabakh get a real opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination and when working instruments of security and development are created, then Armenia may consider the return of security area regions around NKR as a mutual concession, preserving the corridor linking Armenia to Karabakh," President Sargsyan told Al-Watan.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.