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'AZERBAIJAN KNOWS IT IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT TO TURKEY THAN ARMENIA'
news.az
May 10 2011
Azerbaijan
AZERBAIJAN APPRECIATES TURKEY'S STAND ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH.
The Turkish prime minister's recent speech in Igdır that stressed
Azerbaijan's importance for Turkey was warmly welcomed in Azerbaijan,
reinforcing the trust and understanding between the two brotherly
nations, Azerbaijani experts say.
"Such statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
explicitly show Turkey's position towards Azerbaijan so that Azerbaijan
knows it is much more important to Turkey than Armenia," Cavid Veliev,
a regional expert at the Strategic Research Center based in Baku,
said in an interview with Sunday's Zaman. Giving the speech during a
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) election rally at the city
of Igdır's Belediye Square on April 30 as a part of his election
campaign, Erdogan referred to Turkey's relations with Armenia and the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in front of a throng of local residents. He
said straightening out Turkish-Armenian relations is not as important
as settling the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; without the settlement of
this conflict, the normalization process between Armenia and Turkey
is impossible.
"I am putting this issue plainly once more here in Igdır: without
any breakthrough in the Nagorno-Karabakh stalemate, our relations
with Armenia cannot get back on track," Erdogan said. Talking
to Sunday's Zaman, Elkhan Shahinoglu, the head of Baku-based
Atlas Research Center, said Erdogan's saying that the security of
Nakhichevan and Nagorno-Karabakh is as important as the security of
Turkey and that Turkey backs Azerbaijan are very important messages
for the international community, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Remarking
on the completion of the highway in Nakhichevan, Erdogan stated,
"The Karabakh and Nakhichevan issues are of concern for Turkey."
Erdogan once more mentioned Turkey's steadfast stand -- that without
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, Turkey will neither
open the borders nor establish diplomatic relations with Armenia. In
addition, Erdogan also said Armenia should understand that if
Azerbaijan is threatened, Yerevan will find Turkey standing alongside
Azerbaijan. Saying Turkey sent a gentle message to Azerbaijan,
Shahinoglu added, "Ankara is loyal to the alliance with its brother
state."
Erdogan said in his speech in Igdır that Azerbaijan's pain is
Turkey's too. "Turkey has always stood next to Azerbaijan, backed
it on Nagorno-Karabakh and will always continue to support it,"
Erdogan stated.
In an interview with Sunday's Zaman, Elnur Soltanov, an expert at
the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, said that the Igdır speech by
the Turkish prime minister was not just calculated to gain votes,
but an indication of the Turkey's official policy. Despite most of
the population of Igdır having Azerbaijani origins, experts think
the prime minister's speech does not stem from electoral concerns
alone, with Soltanov saying, "Erdogan is a popular and respected prime
minister of Turkey, and he has been noticeably consistent regarding
the triangle of Turkey-Azerbaijan-Armenia relations since 2010."
Calling the message "clear, consistent, legitimate, legally powerful
and peaceful," Soltanov noted the similarity between Erdogan's Igdır
and Geneva speeches; however, considering that normalization between
Turkey and Armenia will not bring comprehensive peace to the region,
one cannot speak of any "normalization."
While responding to questions from Armenian deputies during the Council
of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's (PACE) latest session, held in
mid-April, Erdogan stated that Turkey will always protect Azerbaijan's
rights, while attempting to normalize its ties with Armenia. Meanwhile,
Erdogan urged Armenia not to give in to pressure from the powerful
Armenian diaspora. Revisiting the questions by Armenian deputies
addressed to Erdogan during that PACE session, Erdogan restated his
response to them in his speech in Igdır, saying no one can expect
anything from Turkey in regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
From: A. Papazian
news.az
May 10 2011
Azerbaijan
AZERBAIJAN APPRECIATES TURKEY'S STAND ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH.
The Turkish prime minister's recent speech in Igdır that stressed
Azerbaijan's importance for Turkey was warmly welcomed in Azerbaijan,
reinforcing the trust and understanding between the two brotherly
nations, Azerbaijani experts say.
"Such statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
explicitly show Turkey's position towards Azerbaijan so that Azerbaijan
knows it is much more important to Turkey than Armenia," Cavid Veliev,
a regional expert at the Strategic Research Center based in Baku,
said in an interview with Sunday's Zaman. Giving the speech during a
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) election rally at the city
of Igdır's Belediye Square on April 30 as a part of his election
campaign, Erdogan referred to Turkey's relations with Armenia and the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in front of a throng of local residents. He
said straightening out Turkish-Armenian relations is not as important
as settling the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; without the settlement of
this conflict, the normalization process between Armenia and Turkey
is impossible.
"I am putting this issue plainly once more here in Igdır: without
any breakthrough in the Nagorno-Karabakh stalemate, our relations
with Armenia cannot get back on track," Erdogan said. Talking
to Sunday's Zaman, Elkhan Shahinoglu, the head of Baku-based
Atlas Research Center, said Erdogan's saying that the security of
Nakhichevan and Nagorno-Karabakh is as important as the security of
Turkey and that Turkey backs Azerbaijan are very important messages
for the international community, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Remarking
on the completion of the highway in Nakhichevan, Erdogan stated,
"The Karabakh and Nakhichevan issues are of concern for Turkey."
Erdogan once more mentioned Turkey's steadfast stand -- that without
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, Turkey will neither
open the borders nor establish diplomatic relations with Armenia. In
addition, Erdogan also said Armenia should understand that if
Azerbaijan is threatened, Yerevan will find Turkey standing alongside
Azerbaijan. Saying Turkey sent a gentle message to Azerbaijan,
Shahinoglu added, "Ankara is loyal to the alliance with its brother
state."
Erdogan said in his speech in Igdır that Azerbaijan's pain is
Turkey's too. "Turkey has always stood next to Azerbaijan, backed
it on Nagorno-Karabakh and will always continue to support it,"
Erdogan stated.
In an interview with Sunday's Zaman, Elnur Soltanov, an expert at
the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, said that the Igdır speech by
the Turkish prime minister was not just calculated to gain votes,
but an indication of the Turkey's official policy. Despite most of
the population of Igdır having Azerbaijani origins, experts think
the prime minister's speech does not stem from electoral concerns
alone, with Soltanov saying, "Erdogan is a popular and respected prime
minister of Turkey, and he has been noticeably consistent regarding
the triangle of Turkey-Azerbaijan-Armenia relations since 2010."
Calling the message "clear, consistent, legitimate, legally powerful
and peaceful," Soltanov noted the similarity between Erdogan's Igdır
and Geneva speeches; however, considering that normalization between
Turkey and Armenia will not bring comprehensive peace to the region,
one cannot speak of any "normalization."
While responding to questions from Armenian deputies during the Council
of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's (PACE) latest session, held in
mid-April, Erdogan stated that Turkey will always protect Azerbaijan's
rights, while attempting to normalize its ties with Armenia. Meanwhile,
Erdogan urged Armenia not to give in to pressure from the powerful
Armenian diaspora. Revisiting the questions by Armenian deputies
addressed to Erdogan during that PACE session, Erdogan restated his
response to them in his speech in Igdır, saying no one can expect
anything from Turkey in regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
From: A. Papazian