YEREVAN (AFP/Armenpress)–Responding to whether Tuesday’s attack by the Karabagh Liberation Organization–in protest of Armenia’s participation at a NATO planning conference Baku–affects Armenia’s participation in upcoming NATO events–Armenia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hamlet Gasparian said that though the act justly caused concern–Armenia will participate in the June 28 NATO summit in Istanbul.
Gasparian stressed the incident was the logical consequence of the Azeri leadership’s position and policy [on Armenia’s]–that affects all facets of Azeri society and hinders Armenian-Azeri dialogue.
"Despite these obstacles–Armenia is resolute to continue its cooperation with NATO and participate in NATO-organized joint military exercises and other events–including the Istanbul Summit."
Meanwhile–Turkey is on high alert to ward off any threat to next week’s NATO summit in the country’s biggest city that has long been a playground for Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militants–far-left guerrillas–and armed Kurdish rebels.
Massive security measures are in place for the June 28-29 summit and Turkish authorities say they have received no serious threat of a terrorist attack against the meeting which will be attended by US President George W. Bush and other Western leaders.
There have been a number of small bomb attacks in Istanbul in recent weeks–and other cities–similar to those carried out in the past by left-wing militants.
In the run-up to the NATO summit–Turkish security forces have detained dozens in security sweeps against several outlawed groups.