Category: Azerbaijan

Turkish-Armenian Roadmap Deal ‘Not Implemented’

Azerbaijan — Turkish Ambassador Hulusi Kilic, undated

17.06.2009

Emil Danielyan

A controversial framework agreement on the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations announced in late April is not being implemented, according to Turkey’s ambassador to Azerbaijan.

“There is no progress in the implementation of the roadmap signed between Turkey and Armenia,” Hulusi Kilic was quoted by the Azerbaijani APA news agency as saying on Tuesday. “Nothing is being done. Nothing has changed.”

Kilic gave no reasons for that. He reportedly said last month Turkey will not reopen its border with Armenia until the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is resolved, echoing statements repeatedly made by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in recent months. Erdogan insisted on that linkage even after the Armenian and Turkish foreign ministries announced the roadmap agreement in a joint statement reportedly brokered by U.S. diplomats.

The announcement came less than two days before the annual commemoration of the 1915-1918 mass killings and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. The timing is widely believed to have enabled U.S. President Barack Obama to avoid describing the massacres as genocide in an April 24 statement.

President Serzh Sarkisian has since been accused by his political opponents in Armenia and its worldwide Diaspora of willingly forgoing U.S. recognition of the Armenian genocide without securing the lifting of the 16-year Turkish blockade. Sarkisian has dismissed these accusations. He insisted late last month that Ankara could still agree to unconditionally normalize relations with Yerevan.

Meanwhile, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon confirmed on Tuesday that the Turkish-Armenian “roadmap” envisages the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations and the reopening of their border. Testifying before a U.S. congressional subcommittee, Gordon said the two sides also agreed to set up inter-governmental commissions specializing in “key areas including history,” according to the Armenian National Committee of America. The history commission would presumably look into the events of 1915-1918.

Visiting Yerevan last week, Gordon sounded optimistic about chances of the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations “within a reasonable time frame.” “I think both sides do appreciate that they need to move forward, and I think they are, and I think they will,” he said.

Gordon’s deputy, Matthew Bryza, likewise told RFE/RL’s Armenian service on May 28 that Erdogan’s statements do not preclude the implementation of the roadmap deal. “Stay tuned, keep watching for additional statements by top officials in both Turkey and Armenia which hopefully will show the implementation is moving forward,” Bryza said.

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1756703.html

June 17, 2009
A Brief Report on Azerbaijanis in Iran Prepared by The World Azerbaijanis Congress June 1st, 2009 To Switzerland Parliament members and United Nations High Commission on Human Rights
01 June, 2009

by Professor Gholam-Reza Sabri-Tabrizi, President of World Azerbaijanis Congress

Cartoon showing an Azerbaijani Turkish-speaking cockroach, from a Tehran-based government-owned periodical called 'Iran' newspaper

The Special Representative of Switzerland Parliament members and The United Nations High Commission on Human Rights

The situation on Islamic Republic of Iran, With special reference to South Azerbaijan,

First, we deeply appreciate your giving us an opportunity to bring our peoples’ deep grievances to your attention. We also would like to thank you for defending all those whose basic and ethnic human rights have been grossly violated, especially millions of Azerbaijani Turks that have been exposed to forced assimilation and Persianization. We hope you will give due voice to over 30 million Azerbaijanis in your reports to the UN General Assembly. Helping us in our efforts to fight the systematic destruction of ethnic identities will promote freedom and equality worldwide. Only if you report these injustices to the world community can proper actions be taken to terminate the systematic destruction of ethnic identity and gross violation of human rights in Iran over the last 70 years. Azerbaijanis are looking for your help.

Iran is a multiethnic, multicultural and multilingual country. Persians (Farsis), Azerbaijanis (Azerbaijani Turks), Kurds, Arabs, Loris, Beluchies and Turkomans have lived in Iran for thousands of years. Until the 1920s, they all retained and promoted their unique culture, history and language, without harming each other’s identities. However, the inception of the Pahlavi dynasty’s supremacist policy in the 20s has endangered this semi-harmonious way of life.

With his alleged national unity policy, Reza Shah Pahlavi designed a plan, forcing all non-Persians to sacrifice their ethnic identity and language, in order to fulfill his vision of purely Persian Iran.
Unfortunately, his successors, including the Islamic Republic, followed and perfected his inhumane conduct. Subsequent results have been brutal against all persons not of Persian descent. Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Loris, Beluchis, Arabs and Turkomans have been under tremendous Persianization.

Iran’s reformist leader, President Khatami, deceived the global community with his talk of “dialogue between civilizations,” meanwhile suppressing the people of Iran by ignoring Human Rights in general and Azerbaijani Turks in particular. However the reaction of World Human Rights’ organizations to this assimilation and rather cultural genocide has been very slow and ineffective due to lack of objective information from South Azerbaijan (Iran).

More than 30 million Azerbaijanis are on the verge of losing their language and rich cultural heritage, which they have preserved for thousands of years. They are paying heavy tolls to obtain Iran’s purported “national unity.” This “national unity” with “Islamic” and fanatically supported theocratic government is determined to annihilate Azerbaijani national and ethnic identity, the Iranian government has participated in forced assimilation and other methods of Persianization to create a monolingual “national unity.” We would like to briefly highlight some of them:

Policy on Language

The Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran in the article 15 claims: “The state and common language and script of Iran is Persian. Documents. Correspondence, official texts and text books shall be in this language and script. However, the use of local and ethnic language in the press and for the mass media and the teaching of their literature shall be allowed, besides the Persian language.”

The Constitution Revolution in 1905-1911, the Democratic movement in 1945-46 and subsequent agreement by the Iranian government to guarantee ethnic rights as well as the constitution of Islamic Republic have for some degree taken ethnic grievances into consideration. However, the Iranian governments have all been against honoring their promises and the constitution.

The Iranian government has banned the Azerbaijani Turkish language in schools. Education is available only in the Persian language. Many first grade school children struggle to understand school books written in Persian. Those children unaccustomed to Persian suffer high drop out rates. To prevent this, some parents teach their children Persian as their primary language, rather than their native Azerbaijani Turkish. Said Persian instruction usually comes at the expense of children’s mastery of Azerbaijani Turkish, thus children are encouraged to replace Persian with their mother tongue for social and job advancement.

Television and radio broadcasts help to propagate the hybridized Azerbaijani Turkish, considered a local language. So-called “local languages,” however, are rarely used and thus marginalized, with Persian predominating Iranian media. Azerbaijani Turkish, in fact, has no place in Islamic Republic’s media.

Discrimination operates in other ways, as well. In cities like Tabriz, where Azerbaijanis comprise more than 99% of the population, the judiciary and government systems still must operate solely in Persian. Incredulously, proceedings for a lawsuit comprised of a Azerbaijani plaintiff and an Azerbaijani defendant in a Azerbaijani city, with an Azerbaijani judge, prosecutor and defense lawyer, must be conducted in, not Azerbaijani Turkish, but Persian.

The Iranian government’s destruction of language is one part of the multi-pronged attack to eliminate Azerbaijani ethnic identity. If this policy persists, Azerbaijani identity is doomed to perish.

The following CARTOONS show the attitude and view of Iran Islamic Republic and Persian chauvinism

CONTINUE >>> [download id=”4″]
June 16, 2009

Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan: Turkey’s aim is to liberate Nagorno Karabakh

Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan: Turkey’s aim is to liberate Nagorno Karabakh

Turkey wishes liberation of the occupied lands of Azerbaijan.

Turkey will not open borders with Armenia, unless the lands are liberated, said Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic, speaking at the round table on the topic “Azerbaijani-Turkish relations in the regional geopolitical context” organized in the Center of Strategic Studies.

“20% of Azerbaijani lands have been under Armenian occupation for already 18 years. Evil wishers attempted to make the two fraternal states argue, spread information about the possible opening of the Turkish-Armenian border. Yet Prime Minister’s visit to Azerbaijan has made the situation clear.

The world got convinced that Turkey will never leave Azerbaijan and open borders with Armenia unless the territories are liberated from occupation”, noted the ambassador.

/ANS PRESS/

Source: www.today.az, 12 June 2009

U.S. Envoy Upbeat On Turkey-Armenia Relations

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon’s next stop on his regional tour is Georgia.

June 10, 2009

By Emil Danielyan, Ruben Meloyan

In Armenia on the first stop of his first tour of the region, the new top U.S. diplomat for Europe and the former Soviet Union sounded optimistic about prospects for the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.

“I have only been in office for two weeks, but it seemed to me that there are such important and even historic developments going on in Armenia and the region that I should try to come out here as soon as possible,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon told journalists on June 9.

After holding what he called “excellent and productive talks” with President Serzh Sarkisian and Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian, Gordon also criticized the Armenian authorities’ handling of the May 31 municipal elections in Yerevan.

According to official Armenian sources, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement were high on the agenda of his Yerevan talks. They also discussed the current state of U.S.-Armenian relations. Sarkisian was quoted by his office as telling Gordon that his government finds their expansion “extremely important.”

Speaking at an ensuing news conference, Gordon reaffirmed Washington’s strong support for the year-long fence-mending negotiations between Armenia and Turkey and an unconditional normalization of their relations.

“Turkey-Armenia normalization would benefit Turkey, it would benefit Armenia, and it would benefit the entire region. Because of that, we don’t think it should be linked to anything else,” he said, commenting on Turkish leaders’ renewed linkage between the reopening of the Turkish-Armenian border and a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan.

Gordon stressed that normalization “should proceed within a reasonable time frame,” meaning that “the process can’t be infinite,” he said. “It can’t go on forever. I think the parties understand that.”

“It’s not for me to tell the parties exactly what that means,” added the U.S. official. “But I think both sides do appreciate that they need to move forward, and I think they are, and I think they will.”

Yerevan Vote ‘Not Satisfactory’

Gordon also discussed with Sarkisian and Nalbandian U.S. economic assistance to Armenia under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) program. Some of that $236 million in assistance has been suspended by Washington because of Yerevan’s poor democracy and human rights records.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said that Nalbandian briefed Gordon on “steps taken by the Armenian authorities to implement democratic reforms.” It did not specify whether those steps include the May 31 municipal elections in Yerevan condemned as fraudulent by the opposition.

Gordon indicated that the United States did not consider the polls free and fair. “The results were only tallied up a couple of days ago, and so we don’t have a formal statement or judgment right now,” he said.

“But I have heard reports of irregularities and problems with the election. That wasn’t up to the standard that we would like to see.”

The U.S. ambassador in Yerevan, Marie Yovanovitch, who was also present at the news conference, said a more detailed assessment of the elections based on the findings of U.S. Embassy observers will be released “in the next couple of days.”

“We saw a number of instances of irregularities, fraud, and intimidation not only in one or two districts but throughout the city during voting and also during the count,” she said.

Gordon at the same time disapproved of the decision by the main opposition Armenian National Congress not to take up its seats in Yerevan’s new city council. “Even imperfect election would be a better result if those who were asked to serve are able to do so,” he said.

https://www.rferl.org/a/US_Envoy_Upbeat_On_TurkeyArmenia_Relations/1751225.html

June 11, 2009
REMOVING TRADE RESTRICTIONS ON AZERBAIJAN

WEXLER-SHUSTER INTRODUCE LEGISLATION REMOVING TRADE RESTRICTIONS ON AZERBAIJAN

[Ergun Kirlikovali’s note: The press release below is self explanatory. The better Turkish, Azerbaijani and other Turkic countries, are known at the Capitol Hill, and indeed, around the country, the better Turkic peoples are appreciated and more favorable legislations are eventually proposed.

After our recent victories in Sacramento over the shameless hate bills and resolutions introduced by—who else—Armenian Falsifiers and their fellow Turk-haters, this new bill in the Congress certainly points to increasing political clout the Turkish and Turkic-American are enjoying.

What all this means is that we are on the right track in educating public on the truth and realities and we should continue the task with renewed vigor, not an easy task given the vicious defamation campaigns incessantly waged by some fanatic anti-Turkish groups and their ignorant but equally biased cohorts.

Let’s take a minute to enjoy the fruits of all of our thankless work. Kudos, all around, to all those hard-working Turkish and Turkic-Americans! ]

—
June 4, 2009

Contact: Ashley Mushnick: 202-225-3001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEXLER-SHUSTER INTRODUCE LEGISLATION REPEALING JACKSON-VANIK TRADE RESTRICTIONS ON AZERBAIJAN

(Washington, DC) Today, Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe and a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Congressman Bill Shuster (R-PA), Co-Chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, introduced legislation that would repeal Jackson-Vanik trade restrictions on Azerbaijan. Passage of the legislation would lead to normal trade relations with Azerbaijan, which fell under the restriction of Jackson-Vanik as a post Soviet succesor state. Wexler and Shuster believe that Azerbaijan, which is a strategic security and energy partner of the United States, has long met its obligations to comply with freedom of emigration requirements and that Congress should remove Jackson-Vanik requirements for Azerbaijan.

According to the 1974 Trade Act of the United States, the Jackson-Vanik amendment denied most favored nation to certain countries with non-market economies that restricted emigration rights.

“I strongly support repealing Jackson-Vanik for Azerbaijan, one of America’s most important strategic allies in the Caucasus region, which has met all obligations to comply with freedom of emigration requirements and continues to ensure that these commitments are fulfilled,” Congressman Wexler said. “Passage of this legislation would send a strong signal to Azerbaijan about American intention to enhance relations and cooperation in a number of key areas, including energy security, counter-terrorism cooperation and trade.”

“As the Co-Chair of the House Caucus on Azerbaijan, I look forward to working with Chairman Wexler to improve our strategic relationship with Azerbaijan,” Shuster said. “Azerbaijan is an indispensable ally in the fight against terrorism. Additionally, Azerbaijan is bordered by Russia to the north and Iran to the south, which makes it an essential strategic ally. Azerbaijan also has one of the fastest growing economies in the world and will continue to play an important role as a trade partner in the Caucuses. This legislation is critical to allowing our relationship to prosper and grow.”

(EK: The legislation is reproduced for readers’ convenience below.)

Congressman Wexler is Chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe and a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Recently, Wexler served as an advisor on Middle East issues to President Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign.

###

111TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. ___

To authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of Azerbaijan.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr. WEXLER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on _____

A BILL

To authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of Azerbaijan.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. TERMINATION OF APPLICATION OF TITLE IV OF THE TRADE ACT OF 1974 TO THE PRODUCTS OF AZERBAIJAN.

(a) PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATIONS AND EXTENSION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT.—Notwithstanding any provision of title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2431 et seq.), the President may—

(1) determine that the denial of nondiscriminatory treatment should no longer apply to the products of Azerbaijan; and

(2) after making a determination under paragraph (1) with respect to Azerbaijan, proclaim the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of Azerbaijan.

(b) TERMINATION OF APPLICABILITY OF TITLE IV.—On and after the date on which the President extends nondiscriminatory treatment to the products of Azerbaijan pursuant to subsection (a), title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 shall cease to apply to Azerbaijan.
—-

f:\vhlc6020960209.071.xml (436724|1)
June 2, 2009 (11:14 a.m.)

June 5, 2009
Erdogan Prioritizes Foreign Policy in State of the Union Address

Erdogan Prioritizes Foreign Policy in State of the Union Address

Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 6 Issue: 104

June 1, 2009

By: Saban Kardas

On May 30 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered his State of the Union address, focusing on Turkey’s enhanced profile in regional diplomacy. Erdogan provided details relating to his trips to Azerbaijan, Russia and Poland, and discussed recent foreign policy initiatives, most importantly Turkey’s role in energy security. Erdogan attempted to boost public confidence in the foreign policy agenda, which he described as “very active, dynamic and intensive,” essentially offering a restatement of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government’s position on these issues (www.bbm.gov.tr, May 30).

Erdogan highlighted Ankara’s role in energy policies, which he described as one of the most important issues on the global political agenda. He illustrated how his government had “turned Turkey’s geographic position into an effective foreign policy instrument,’ while arguing that the country’s location enables it to act as an “energy corridor and terminal” between Western markets and the Middle Eastern or Caspian energy producers. However, he noted that if Turkey fails to develop longer term planning, it will be unable to fully capitalize on these opportunities or meet its domestic needs.

Erdogan’s views on energy geopolitics reflect the growing energy demands of an emerging economy. Although Turkey has initiated various projects to increase its domestic production and invest in alternative energy sources, its domestic energy output accounts for only one third of the country’s needs. Recent Turkish foreign policy initiatives have endeavored to turn this ongoing dependence on imports from a liability into an asset, by capitalizing on Turkey’s position between the suppliers and Western consumers.

Erdogan maintained that the AKP government had taken important steps toward diversifying suppliers and energy transportation routes. After summarizing several existing and planned oil and gas pipeline projects across Turkish territory, Erdogan added that Turkey had become an integral part of the discussions on ensuring European energy security. He claimed that once these projects are completed, “Turkey will emerge as the fourth largest hub after Norway, Russia and Algeria, in supplying gas to Europe.” He also suggested that the Turkish port of Ceyhan will become an “important energy distribution center and the largest oil sale terminal in the eastern Mediterranean.”

In that context, Erdogan prioritized the Nabucco project, since it will consolidate Turkey’s role within European energy security. He hoped the construction of the pipeline will begin soon and become operational by 2010: “we will sign the [intergovernmental] agreement in June,” he added. Erdogan’s statements also reflect recent changes in Turkey’s position over the stalled Nabucco project, which raised expectations that the intergovernmental agreement might be concluded in June (EDM, May 15).

Turkey’s diplomatic initiatives in the South Caucasus were another key feature of Erdogan’s agenda. After noting Turkey’s cooperative policies within the region, he highlighted his trip to Azerbaijan. He underlined the close ties between the two nations by referring to the growing bilateral trade volume, and Turkish investment in Azerbaijan’s economic development.

Erdogan also stressed Turkey’s continued support for international initiatives to resolve regional issues, most importantly the Karabakh question. He repeated his government’s recent stance on the Azeri-Armenian dispute by maintaining that “Turkey and Azerbaijan will continue to share a common destiny, and walk on the same path” and that Turkey “will protect Azerbaijan’s interests as much as our own interests.” He warned the Turkish and Azeri peoples against those “who work to undermine the friendship and brotherhood between the two countries through false claims” (www.bbm.gov.tr, May 30).

He was clearly seeking to alleviate domestic concern over the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia. Nationalist forces within Turkey had successfully mobilized public opinion against the AKP government’s overtures toward Armenia. They argued that it had betrayed the interests of Azerbaijan, by separating the Turkish-Armenian normalization from Azeri-Armenian negotiations. The mounting domestic pressure and criticism from Baku forced the government to reduce the pace of Turkish-Armenian rapprochement (EDM, April 29, May 6). Erdogan’s trip to Azerbaijan as well as other recent high level contacts between the countries, has served to reassure Baku (EDM, May 14). Nonetheless, these moves toward Baku added to uncertainty surrounding the future of the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement, and Turkish politicians have recently proven reluctant to comment on the issue.

He also referred to the recent naval exercises carried out by the Turkish military in the Aegean and Mediterranean. Erdogan stressed the use of high-technology weaponry and said the successful conclusion of the exercises was proof of the country’s power of deterrence in the region. Moreover, he emphasized that the Turkish army not only ensures national defense, but it also makes significant contributions to global security.

Erdogan’s address provided significant clues concerning Ankara’s strategic vision, which underpins the thinking of the Turkish political elite on foreign affairs. Erdogan repeated the geopolitical argument that Turkey is uniquely located in a strategic position at the intersection of several regions. He maintained that Turkish foreign policy strategies are devised with the aim of turning this position into an asset. Moreover, he reflected on how a constant search for markets and energy supplies to sustain Turkey’s economic development now drives many of the country’s foreign policy initiatives. Equally, he revealed that military power remains an essential component of Turkish foreign policy, despite the government priding itself on its effective use of soft power.

Erdogan’s use of geopolitical rhetoric also highlighted the shifting priorities of Turkish foreign policy under the AKP government. He said that since a large part of Turkey’s territory is in Asia, that part of the world naturally occupies a vital place in Ankara’s foreign policy agenda. This admission is important, since some analysts describe the reorientation of Turkish foreign policy toward the Middle East and the South Caucasus as an indication of an ideological shift and the emergence of neo-Ottomanism – whereas Erdogan rightly explains it as a geopolitical necessity.

https://jamestown.org/program/erdogan-prioritizes-foreign-policy-in-state-of-the-union-address/

June 2, 2009