Azerbaijan, Turkey Presidents exchange views on Karabakh conflict during Astana summit

PanARMENIAN.Net - Within the framework of the OSCE summit in Astana presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Abdullah Gul of Turkey have held the first meeting after the scandalous publications of American diplomatic dispatches by WikiLeaks resource.

According to official reports, during the meeting the parties expressed satisfaction over the development of friendly relations between the two countries in various fields. Bilateral relations as well as Karabakh conflict were discussed.

Whistle-blowing internet site Wikileaks' release of secret U.S. diplomatic cables should not occupy Turkey's domestic politics, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday.

Asked about controversial Wikileaks' release of U.S. diplomatic secrets, Gul recalled one of the documents which included rumours about Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's wealth and said, "who believes in such a thing?"

"I do not want to call them documents," Gul told reporters in Kazakhstan where he is attending a meeting of OSCE. "I think such diplomatic gossip should not occupy our domestic politics."

Gul also talked about his meeting with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev who is also in Kazakhstan for OSCE summit and said the issue came up during their meeting on Wednesday.

Aliyev denied all claims in U.S. diplomatic cables, Gul said, adding that "he said he was very sorry about the issue."

According to Wikileaks documents, U.S. diplomats said "Aliyev made clear his distaste for the Erdogan government, underscoring the 'naivete' of their foreign policy and the failure of their initiatives."

Gul said, "why would he stand against energy lines through Turkey. Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is already in operation. It brings huge income to them. If Nabucco lines go through Turkey, Azerbaijan's energy resources will reach large markets. So, I told him not to worry because we do not believe in all these."

Gul also told reporters that documents included nothing new, Turkish Weekly reported.