Category: Azerbaijan

Campaign against opening of borders

[ 06 Apr 2009 20:12 ]
Baku. Vugar Masimoglu – APA. Those protesting against opening of borders with Armenia launched internet-campaign in Turkey, APA reports. About thousand of people joined the campaign on .

The people, who joined the campaign, appealed to Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials.

“Media and some nongovernmental organizations often discuss opening of borders with Armenia. Taking into account the following truths, we are thinking of reassessing this probability. When Turkey took steps to improve the relations with Armenia, the opposite side did not give similar reaction. Unilateral approach started with football diplomacy resulted in the statements of Armenian officials that they would not give up their policy. Armenia has not recognized Turkey’s territorial integrity yet and is still using Agri Mountain as a national symbol in official documents,” the appeal says.

Improvement of Turkey-Armenia relations may damage Turkey-Azerbaijan relations because of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Turkey’s stipulation to solve Nagorno Karabakh conflict lasting for 17 years in favor of Azerbaijan does only arise from Azerbaijan’s natural resources and increase of trade turnover with this country. It arises from historical support of Turkey and Azerbaijan “one nation, two states”. If Turkey does this for some profit, in this case relations with Azerbaijan have more privileges. Azerbaijan, which has a lot of oil and gas resources and plays the role of a door to the Central Asia, is more important for Turkey. Armenia can give nothing positive to Turkey.

We all know that Azerbaijan offered material and military assistance to Turkey during the battle of Canakkale. Of course we do not forget Turkey’s supports to Azerbaijan. Turkey has always supported Azerbaijan in the international platforms. Media writes that “the borders may be opened to prevent adoption of the so-called Armenian genocide in the US Congress”. What will Turkey, which will lose Azerbaijan this year, sacrifice next year in order to prevent recognition of the “Armenian genocide?”

We do not believe that Turkey will leave Azerbaijan alone in the issue of Nagorno Karabakh and sign this appeal believing that Turkey-Armenia borders will not open unless Nagorno Karabakh’s occupation by Armenia ends.

April 6, 2009
Azerbaijan will never give up its position

[ 06 Apr 2009 21:11 ]
“We are observing ongoing changes in the region, necessary measures are taken”

Baku. Kamala Guliyeva – APA. “Azerbaijan has always established its independent policy basing on national interests. The protection of national interests is our main task. We protect the national interests of Azerbaijani people by making independent decisions both in domestic and foreign policy issues,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at the meeting of the Security Council, APA reports.

The President stated that this policy would continue henceforth: “Azerbaijan is well-known as a reliable partner on a world scale and it carries on an independent policy. This policy serves for the development of our country. Moreover, relations with other countries have correctly been established on the long-term basis. The policy of Azerbaijan has been directed to the maintenance of peace, tranquility and security in the region. The huge transnational economic energy projects and political initiatives are put forward and executed by Azerbaijan in the region. These great geopolitically-important initiatives cannot be realized without the participation of Azerbaijan. Our will, political approach and successful regional cooperation established with our participation make the new realities possible”.

The head of state noted the policy of Azerbaijan in regional issues had always been the one that brought prosperity to all countries of the region: “We are observing ongoing changes in the region, necessary measures are taken. I want to reiterate that Azerbaijan will never give up its principal position. Our country has never interfered in the affairs of other countries and we have no such intentions in the future. However, it’s our natural right to pursue our policy in accordance with the situation in the region”.

April 6, 2009
Azerbaijani intellectuals appeal to Turkish intellectuals

Baku – APA. Azerbaijani intellectuals appealed to Turkish intellectuals in connection with the opening of Turkey-Armenia borders, APA reports. The appeal says that Azerbaijani intellectuals are attentively following Turkey’s great diplomatic-political efforts aiming to restore peace, kind neighborhood and prosperity in the Middle East and Caucasus.
“We are optimistic about the package of proposals prepared by official Ankara to ensure stability in the Caucasus. But the reality is that Armenia occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories, carried out ethnic cleansing in those territories, destroyed historical and cultural monuments, carried out the process of illegal settlement in Karabakh, exploited natural resources and created conditions for transnational crimes in the regions beyond the international control, all this contradicts human values, principles of peace, democracy, stability and regional cooperation, international legal norms,” the appeal says.

According to the appeal, Armenian government in words made goodwill promises to Turkish leadership, and continues its campaign of slander against the entire Turkic world.
“We do not doubt that Turkish authorities have enough information about it. Just because of these reasons Turkey did not established diplomatic relations or agreed to open borders with Armenia for years. Azerbaijani state and society have always taken pride in Turkey’s confidence. But Azerbaijani intellectuals are concerned over the recent media reports that Turkey will open borders with Armenia. We regard the realization of this probability as a case contradicting the national interests of the Turkish people and the entire Turkic world. We state that opening of borders with Armenia is inadmissible and consider that it will be disrespect to the historical traditions and moral values of Turkic nation to establish relations with Armenia, which had territorial claims against its neighbors since its establishment, which continues to occupy Azerbaijani territories, has false genocide claims against Turkish people and offers all kinds of assistance to PKK terrorist organization. This concession will not make Armenia give up claims against Turkey. The action of the ruling Justice and Development Party may have a negative impact on the relations expressed by the principle “one nation – two states”, the appeal says.
Azerbaijani intellectuals protest against opening of borders and establishing relations with Armenia.
“We assess these efforts as steps contradicting the will of Turkish people and a serious blow on historical relations with Turkey. We call on Turkey, which is close to Azerbaijan in terms of language, religion and cultural values, to preserve objectivity with respect to Armenia’s aggressive policy. We hope Turkish government will be attentive towards this issue and take a step in line with common interests of the Turkic world.”
The appeal was signed by the employees of Azerbaijan National Academy of sciences and members of Azerbaijan Writers Union.

April 6, 2009
Yerevan Slams Turkish ‘Preconditions’

By Emil Danielyan

Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian accused Turkey of jeopardizing the normalization of its strained relations with Armenia before flying to Istanbul late Monday for potentially decisive talks with Turkish officials.

The official purpose of Nalbandian’s two-day trip is to participate in the UN-sponsored Alliance of Civilizations summit. He is expected to meet his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan, for further talks aimed at ending long-running tensions between the two neighboring states.

Ankara and Yerevan are reportedly close to reaching an agreement on a gradual establishment of diplomatic relations and reopening of the Turkish-Armenian border. Some Turkish newspapers have said the deal could be announced during or shortly after Nalbandian’s upcoming visit.

However, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that this can not happen before a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict acceptable to Azerbaijan. “As long as the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is not resolved, it is not possible for us to reach a healthy solution concerning Armenia,” he told a news conference in London, according to Reuters.

In a written statement issued on Sunday, Nalbandian said that the unresolved Karabakh conflict has not been on the agenda of the ongoing Turkish-Armenian negotiations, implying that Ankara stopped using it as a precondition when it embarked on the unprecedented dialogue with Yerevan last year. “I believe that the statements, which put forth preconditions for the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, may be regarded as an attempt to impede the progress reached in the negotiations,” he said in an apparent references to Erdogan’s remarks.

The remarks followed Azerbaijan’s stark warnings to Turkey not to normalize ties with Armenia before a Karabakh settlement. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev reportedly cancelled his scheduled participation in the Istanbul forum in protest against such prospect.

In his statement, Nalbandian also said that Ankara must not use its rapprochement with Yerevan for preventing greater international recognition as genocide of the World War One-era massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. “It has been said many times, and I want to stress it again, that the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations can never question the reality of Armenian Genocide,” he said.

According to “Hurriyet Daily News,” Nalbandian was originally due to arrive in Istanbul on Sunday night. “Nalbandian’s delay in traveling to Istanbul was also taken as discontent over Erdogan’s statements,” said the English-language paper.

April 6, 2009
Opening of borders is against Azerbaijan’s interests

[ 03 Apr 2009 17:23 ]
Baku. Lachin Sultanova –APA. “Principally, every country has a sovereign right to determine its relationship with any other country, but in this situation, the issue directly concerns Azerbaijan”, said press officer of Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Elkhan Polukhov, commenting reports on Turkey’s intention to open borders with Armenia, APA reports.

He said Turkish government closed the borders with Armenia in 1993. “The government of Turkey decided in 1993 to close borders with Armenia because of Armenia’s territorial claims against Turkey, occupation of Azerbaijani territories, ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijani people in the occupied territories. The Republic of Azerbaijan appreciated the Turkey’s decision as an act of support and a sign of solidarity with the Azerbaijani people. Azerbaijan always supported the Turkey’s fair demands against Armenia. Turkey’s decision to close borders with Armenia has a principal character because it was a clear message of intolerance to Armenia for its actions. This decision considers political and economic measures to force Armenia to review its policy against Azerbaijan and Turkey and to make well-considered steps in the region”. Polukhov said Armenia was always refusing the constructive proposals of its neighbors. “Armenia is always refusing constructive proposals toward settlement of the conflict and other problems as well, considers the hostile activity possible, and notwithstanding it demands the countries, which are targets of Armenia’s hostile activity, to open borders and to establish economic cooperation. Under the present conditions, reviewing of policy toward Armenia, including changing of decision on closing the borders within the context of non-progress in the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, would have negative impact on the Armenian-Azerbaijani talks over the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. “Armenia will accept the opening of borders as an act of encouraging of its occupier policy against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan considers that the opening of Turkish-Armenian borders out of the context of settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict is contrary to the national interests of Azerbaijan. This action will have negative impact on the situation in both strategic and tactic plans and will intensify tensions in the region”.

April 4, 2009
Azerbaijanis protest opening of Turkey-Armenia border

Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayev, Elnur Mammadli-APA. “The opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia is contrary not only to the interests of Azerbaijan, but also to the interests of Turkey. Nobody in Azerbaijan believes that Turkey can take such step”, Malahat Ibrahimgizi from ruling New Azerbaijan Part (YAP) told APA. According to her, opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia has become a subject of discussions after Adulla Gul’s visit to Yerevan to watch the football match. She noted that Azerbaijan was seriously and justly concerned over this issue: “20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territories are under the occupation. It means that Armenians have occupied not only the territory of Azerbaijan, but also the international law.”

Non-party deputy Ganira Pashayeva told APA that she was against the opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia before the liberation of Azerbaijani lands from the occupation. “Opening of borders is unacceptable before the solution to Nagorno Karabagh problem”. To her, Turkish Prime Minister has today refuted the information on opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia: “I would like to hope that this refutation would continue till the liberation of Azerbaijan’s lands from occupation”.

Head of Azerbaijan-Turkey Interparliamentary Friendship Group Nizami Jafarov told APA that the opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia was not convincing. According to the MP, if such case happens the Government of Azerbaijan will protest this issue: “If the borders are opened before the solution to the Nagorno Karabagh conflict the result will not be satisfactory. Turkey has already taken certain steps in this direction, but Armenia has done nothing instead”.

Chairman of United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (BAXCP), Deputy Gudrat Hasanguliyev told APA if Turkish community did not protest this issue AKP administration would open the borders with Armenia: “They are seriously preparing for this. If different parties, communities, intellectuals and media of Turkey do demonstrate their strict positions in this issue, the Turkish government will realize their intentions. Turkey established economic relations with Armenia and even there are flights between the two countries, the only issue was to make these ties formal”. Hasanguliyev stated that it was a right step that Azerbaijani President refused to attend the “Alliance of Civilizations” project meeting in Turkey.

Head of Musavat Party Isa Gambar noted that he did not believe in the opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia: “There is huge and global process today. And there are many players and factors in this process. And each player of this process has its own interests while making decisions. And of course Azerbaijan also has its own interests and the most important interest is to make Armenia refrain from its aggressive policy. At the same time, strategic and friendly relations should further be developed with Turkey”.

Chairman of Azerbaijan Popular Front Party Ali Karimli noted that Azerbaijan was seriously and justly concerned over the opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia. The Government of Azerbaijan should speak openly in this issue. Today I’ve heard about the first steps in this respect. There should be consecutive policy and the talks should be conducted with Turkish government.

April 4, 2009