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Hurriyet, Turkey
May 5 2011
Why is Azerbaijan postponing the visa issue?
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Göknur AKÃ?ADAÄ?
The first news I saw in the Azeri press concerning the abolishment of
the visa regime between Turkey and Azerbaijan was published in
November 2009. Referring to a statement from Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an, the news article said the final decision to
abolish it would be made during a visit to Turkey by Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
In addition, deputy Nizami Caferov recalled that Turkey had taken the
initiative on the issue in 2007, but Azerbaijan had not yet made a
decision.
`There must be some reasons why Azerbaijan has delayed making a
decision on this issue,' Caferov was quoted as saying at the time.
In the 2007 EU progress report on the state of Turkey's accession to
the European Union, Turkey was criticized for abolishing the visa
regime for Turkic countries.
This agreement has not been realized, although the parties agreed to
terms to abolish visa requirements during Mammadyarov's visit to
Turkey. Mammadyarov says there were some bureaucratic impediments. But
in these cases, the protocols may be signed regardless and a deadline
may be given to abolish the impediments. It is a pity they could not
get to this point. What sorts of economic and political reasons may be
preventing Azerbaijan from abolishing the visa regime?
We may try to find an answer for this by glancing at the Azeri press.
RövÅ?en AÄ?ayev, an economic expert, states there are no economic
reasons to abolish the visa for Turkish citizens by Azerbaijan, but
that this is a political and legal issue.
`There are simple reasons behind the issues that seem to be difficult
to understand outside. The Azeri authorities and bureaucrats do not
want to lose any monetary resource. Therefore they haven't abolished
the visa regime for Iran and Turkey,' political scientist ZerdüÅ?t
Alizade explains.
Fuat Kahramanlı, deputy chairman of the Popular Front of Azerbaijan,
claims the government does not want to abolish the visa regime as the
problem has not been solved so far and the Azeri side has produced a
lot of excuses.
`It thinks the Azeri government sees it as a worrying issue for its
power; therefore, the solution is being delayed. In my opinion the
will of Russia on this issue may be considered. Azerbaijan, by not
solving the problem, gives a message to Russia implying that she is
closer to and more intimate with Russia. But whatever may come, not
solving the problem makes relations more tense,' Kahramanlı says.
His statement summarizes the reaction inside Azerbaijan, where there
have been some comments attributing the problem to the Karabakh issue.
Regnum, in its news article titled `Does the Power Party of Azerbaijan
Oppose the Abolishment of Visa Regime with Turkey?' mentioned
discussions in the Azerbaijan National Assembly during the Feb. 22
session about the abolishment of the visa regime between Turkey and
Azerbaijan. Fazıl Mustafa, chairman of the Great Creation Party,
proposed that visa restrictions be annulled between two countries.
`The visa implementation for Turkey must be eliminated as it was with
Georgia. This will be in favor of the strategic interests of
Azerbaijan,' Mustafa said.
A deputy of the New Azerbaijan Party, the power party, Siyavuç
Novruzov, was in favor of abolishing the visa regime, proposing a free
moving application initially between Turkey and Azerbaijan in the
Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. In addition, the Azeri sources wrote
that the visit of ErdoÄ?an to Azerbaijan was postponed several times
due to the difference of opinion that arose between Baku and Ankara on
this issue.
My fellow countryman can go to Azerbaijan without a visa as my Azeri
brother comes to Turkey freely
Turkish State Minister Zafer Ã?aÄ?layan, who spoke at the Turkish-Azeri
Business Council, said the impediments to developing trade between
Turkey and Azerbaijan should be eliminated. He asked Azerbaijan to
abolish the visa regime enforced for Turkish citizens and sign the
free trade agreement soon. He emphasized that the visa problem was not
related to the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.
`The visa issue is a psychologically important matter for Turkey. This
is not a monetary issue. Azerbaijan does not enforce the visa for the
citizens of Russia and the Turkic countries. I hope Azerbaijan is
seeking a way to abolish it soon,' said Ã?aÄ?layan.
When we look at recent Turkish-Azeri relations, the `Armenian
initiative,' which cooled relations two years ago, is not on the
agenda now. Prime Minister ErdoÄ?an explained clearly several times
that the interests of Azerbaijan would be defended. The main argument
of those who oppose the abolishment of a visa regime in Azerbaijan is
that there are some groups that do not like Turkey and Azerbaijan and
they may come to Azerbaijan to involve themselves in opposition
activity.
Possibly for Azerbaijan the visa issue is considered in parallel to
other political and economic developments. For example, the problems
of natural gas and the Nabucco project between the two countries have
not been solved yet. Azerbaijan is a party that does not want Turkey
to have the authority to re-import the natural gas of Å?ahdeniz. There
are negotiations underway to sell this natural gas directly to
European countries. Despite it being said that relations between
Turkey and Azerbaijan are perfect, there is ambiguity about some
issues. It is also likely that Azerbaijan may take a decision on the
visa issue according to the stance of Turkey's ruling Justice and
Development Party, or AKP, after the June elections.
We often stress the will of Russia while suggesting that the problems
related to the Caucasus must be solved amongst the regional countries.
Though it was expected that Azerbaijan would make her decision on the
visa with her belated willpower before Russia, this retardation has
created a serious trouble between the two brother countries. Turkey
expects the visa problem to be eliminated as soon as possible.
- - -
Göknur AkçadaÄ? is an assistant professor at Yıldız Technical
University's Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=why-does-azerbaijan-postpone-the-visa-issue-2011-05-05
From: A. Papazian
May 5 2011
Why is Azerbaijan postponing the visa issue?
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Göknur AKÃ?ADAÄ?
The first news I saw in the Azeri press concerning the abolishment of
the visa regime between Turkey and Azerbaijan was published in
November 2009. Referring to a statement from Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an, the news article said the final decision to
abolish it would be made during a visit to Turkey by Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
In addition, deputy Nizami Caferov recalled that Turkey had taken the
initiative on the issue in 2007, but Azerbaijan had not yet made a
decision.
`There must be some reasons why Azerbaijan has delayed making a
decision on this issue,' Caferov was quoted as saying at the time.
In the 2007 EU progress report on the state of Turkey's accession to
the European Union, Turkey was criticized for abolishing the visa
regime for Turkic countries.
This agreement has not been realized, although the parties agreed to
terms to abolish visa requirements during Mammadyarov's visit to
Turkey. Mammadyarov says there were some bureaucratic impediments. But
in these cases, the protocols may be signed regardless and a deadline
may be given to abolish the impediments. It is a pity they could not
get to this point. What sorts of economic and political reasons may be
preventing Azerbaijan from abolishing the visa regime?
We may try to find an answer for this by glancing at the Azeri press.
RövÅ?en AÄ?ayev, an economic expert, states there are no economic
reasons to abolish the visa for Turkish citizens by Azerbaijan, but
that this is a political and legal issue.
`There are simple reasons behind the issues that seem to be difficult
to understand outside. The Azeri authorities and bureaucrats do not
want to lose any monetary resource. Therefore they haven't abolished
the visa regime for Iran and Turkey,' political scientist ZerdüÅ?t
Alizade explains.
Fuat Kahramanlı, deputy chairman of the Popular Front of Azerbaijan,
claims the government does not want to abolish the visa regime as the
problem has not been solved so far and the Azeri side has produced a
lot of excuses.
`It thinks the Azeri government sees it as a worrying issue for its
power; therefore, the solution is being delayed. In my opinion the
will of Russia on this issue may be considered. Azerbaijan, by not
solving the problem, gives a message to Russia implying that she is
closer to and more intimate with Russia. But whatever may come, not
solving the problem makes relations more tense,' Kahramanlı says.
His statement summarizes the reaction inside Azerbaijan, where there
have been some comments attributing the problem to the Karabakh issue.
Regnum, in its news article titled `Does the Power Party of Azerbaijan
Oppose the Abolishment of Visa Regime with Turkey?' mentioned
discussions in the Azerbaijan National Assembly during the Feb. 22
session about the abolishment of the visa regime between Turkey and
Azerbaijan. Fazıl Mustafa, chairman of the Great Creation Party,
proposed that visa restrictions be annulled between two countries.
`The visa implementation for Turkey must be eliminated as it was with
Georgia. This will be in favor of the strategic interests of
Azerbaijan,' Mustafa said.
A deputy of the New Azerbaijan Party, the power party, Siyavuç
Novruzov, was in favor of abolishing the visa regime, proposing a free
moving application initially between Turkey and Azerbaijan in the
Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. In addition, the Azeri sources wrote
that the visit of ErdoÄ?an to Azerbaijan was postponed several times
due to the difference of opinion that arose between Baku and Ankara on
this issue.
My fellow countryman can go to Azerbaijan without a visa as my Azeri
brother comes to Turkey freely
Turkish State Minister Zafer Ã?aÄ?layan, who spoke at the Turkish-Azeri
Business Council, said the impediments to developing trade between
Turkey and Azerbaijan should be eliminated. He asked Azerbaijan to
abolish the visa regime enforced for Turkish citizens and sign the
free trade agreement soon. He emphasized that the visa problem was not
related to the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.
`The visa issue is a psychologically important matter for Turkey. This
is not a monetary issue. Azerbaijan does not enforce the visa for the
citizens of Russia and the Turkic countries. I hope Azerbaijan is
seeking a way to abolish it soon,' said Ã?aÄ?layan.
When we look at recent Turkish-Azeri relations, the `Armenian
initiative,' which cooled relations two years ago, is not on the
agenda now. Prime Minister ErdoÄ?an explained clearly several times
that the interests of Azerbaijan would be defended. The main argument
of those who oppose the abolishment of a visa regime in Azerbaijan is
that there are some groups that do not like Turkey and Azerbaijan and
they may come to Azerbaijan to involve themselves in opposition
activity.
Possibly for Azerbaijan the visa issue is considered in parallel to
other political and economic developments. For example, the problems
of natural gas and the Nabucco project between the two countries have
not been solved yet. Azerbaijan is a party that does not want Turkey
to have the authority to re-import the natural gas of Å?ahdeniz. There
are negotiations underway to sell this natural gas directly to
European countries. Despite it being said that relations between
Turkey and Azerbaijan are perfect, there is ambiguity about some
issues. It is also likely that Azerbaijan may take a decision on the
visa issue according to the stance of Turkey's ruling Justice and
Development Party, or AKP, after the June elections.
We often stress the will of Russia while suggesting that the problems
related to the Caucasus must be solved amongst the regional countries.
Though it was expected that Azerbaijan would make her decision on the
visa with her belated willpower before Russia, this retardation has
created a serious trouble between the two brother countries. Turkey
expects the visa problem to be eliminated as soon as possible.
- - -
Göknur AkçadaÄ? is an assistant professor at Yıldız Technical
University's Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=why-does-azerbaijan-postpone-the-visa-issue-2011-05-05
From: A. Papazian