YEREVAN (Armenpress)–A senior official of Georgia’s foreign ministry said Azerbaijan has sovereign rights to have Turkish military bases deployed on its territory.
The Deputy Head of the International Relations Department of Georgia’s foreign ministry Shalva Pichkhadze–when asked to comment on Azerbaijani President Aliyev’s latest announcement in Turkey that his country favors deployment of Turkish military bases in Azerbaijan–said "If none of the South Caucasian states declare plans to have Russian military bases withdrawn from its territory–it does not mean that Azerbaijan has no right to get military support from other countries."
Pichkhadze added that Russia would most likely react with irritation to Aliyev’s announcement–which may have a negative impact on all the countries of the region. Pichkhadze also commented that the presence of Turkish military bases in Azerbaijan may serve as a guarantee for Western states in terms of protecting their economic interests in the region.