Tweet
WIKILEAKS: TURKEY COULD NOT AFFORD GAINING ARMENIA AT THE EXPENSE OF LOSING AZERBAIJAN
AzeriReport
Sept 14 2011
WASHINGTON DC. September 14, 2011: The new WikiLeaks report discloses a
diplomatic cable from the US Embassy in Baku to the US State Department
dated April 6, 2009. The cable discusses the telephone call of the
Turkish ambassador Hilusi Kilic to the US ambassador Anne Derse
where the former expressed his deep concerns about the US push for
the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement without paying attention to the
resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. In short, the Turkish
diplomat said Turkey could not afford gaining Armenia at the expense
of losing Azerbaijan. Below is the full text of the diplomatic cable:
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000269
SIPDIS
NOFORN
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, DAS BRYZA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2034
TAGS: PREL, TU, AM, AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: TURKISH AMBASSADOR PLEADS FOR REAL N-K PROGRESS
TO ACCOMPANY ARMENIAN OPENING
REF: BAKU 258 (NOTAL)
Classified By: Ambassador Anne Derse, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (S/NF) Summary. Turkish Ambassador Hilusi Kilic called Ambassador
Derse Sunday April 5 to relay his deep alarm at the coming "crisis"
in Azerbaijan-Turkey relations and plead for U.S. assistance to ensure
that Armenia continues to negotiate in good faith on Nagorno-Karabakh
(NK) after achieving an agreement with Turkey to open the border
and begin normalization of relations. Kilic relayed that the GOAJ
had made it clear to him that if Turkey expects Azerbaijan to accept
the border opening without a prior solution to N-K, then Turkey must
demand Armenian agreement to the Minsk Group's Basic Principles. Shaken
by his government's failure to convince President Aliyev to attend
the Istanbul summit and by gathering signals that the rapprochement
will have serious domestic political consequences in both Turkey
and Azerbaijan, Kilic expressed hope that President Obama's personal
involvement in the issue would suffice to avert a total breakdown in
relations. End Summary.
2. (S/NF) Turkish Ambassador in Baku Hilusi Kilic asked to meet the
Ambassador on Sunday, April 5 to relay his deep alarm over the looming
&crisis8 in Turkey-Azerbaijani relations ) the most serious since
Azerbaijan,s independence, he said ) and to plead for US assistance
in pushing the Armenians to be constructive on NK and in crafting a
&win-win-win8 solution. &We want to win Armenia, but not at the cost
of losing Azerbaijan, the Turkic world, the Southern Corridor. We are
trying to do something good (with the Armenians), but we are doing
something bad too (with Azerbaijan). We have to balance. The processes
must go together. We want to resolve the Armenian problem but we must
think of Azerbaijan too ) why can,t we settle both at the same time?
We cannot let Turkish-Azerbaijan relations crash. It is unimaginable,
the costs are too high.8 He said the GOAJ has made clear to him that
they want Armenian agreement on the Basic Principles as the price
for their accepting the border opening.
3. (S/NF) Kilic said he is &in shock8 that Erdogan,s call Saturday
to President Aliyev, which followed calls from Secretary Clinton and
President Gul the previous evening, failed to win Aliyev,s presence
in Istanbul. Erdogan pitched Aliyev hard on the opportunity Istanbul
presented for discussion with President Obama and Turkish leadership,
to no avail. Erdogan excused himself to Aliyev saying that he had been
so busy during the elections he did not know how far the Turkey-Armenia
issue had gone. President Gul also had spoken to Aliyev Friday, at
which time Aliyev said he had not seen Gul,s statement with respect to
reports that agreement to open borders would be signed April 16. The
Turkish Embassy sent that statement and Erdogan,s London statement
that strongly associated the border opening to the N-K issue to Aliyev,
but they had not sufficed to win his presence.
4. (S/NF) Kilic pointed to strong reaction in the Azeri press Sunday,
when the GOAJ began to comment publicly on the negative impact of
the Turkey/Armenia process on prospects for resolution of NK. In
addition to the MFA statement that Turkish-Armenian normalization was
not in Azerbaijan,s interests, the Parliament, think-tank analysts,
the opposition, had all commented strongly against Turkish &betrayal.8
Turkish citizens are getting rude comments from people on the street
and the Embassy staff is getting threatening phone calls. It will
get worse, he predicted, in Azerbaijan and in Turkey too. Next week,
he expected, the Turkish opposition will take off the gloves and use
this issue to strike a blow at Erdogan and the AKP. It will resonate
with the Turkish public. Further, he said, Russia, Iran and Armenia
are joined in pushing Turkish normalization without NK progress )
they want Azerbaijan and Turkey to be split, this strengthens their
geopolitical position.
5. (S/NF) Kilic's view is that only U.S. pressure can compel the
Armenians to stay constructively engaged in the N-K process. &We need
US help to push the Armenians. We have to push them. They are not
in a hurry ) they occupy Azerbaijan,s territory. If they want peace
with Turkey at least they can be constructive. We are trying to do our
best but everyone knows Azerbaijan,s territory is occupied by Armenia,
and it is because of the Armenian lobbies in the US and Europe that
Azerbaijan is paying the bill. It is not fair. Azerbaijan feels alone,
between Russia and Iran. He said President Obama had shown with his
work reassuring Turkey about the nomination of Anders Fogh Rasmussen
to be NATO SYG that he will lead, he will be the leader of the world.
Turkey trusts him and appreciates his initiative. Turkey needs
President Obama's leadership on this issue, too, he said.
6. (S/NF) Ambassador reiterated to Kilic the points she and EUR DAS
Matthew Bryza had made when she hosted Kilic at dinner (septel),
namely that the United States supports Turkey's normalization process
with Armenia; while at the same time recognizing that intensified
effort is necessary to keep the N-K process moving in this time of
change. The Secretary's personal involvement in Minsk Group issues
and her dispatching DAS Bryza to Baku twice in one week to consult the
GOAJ, are clear indications that the USG is serious about shepherding
both sides of the N-K conflict to a just and lasting settlement.
Comment
7. (S/NF) It was not fully clear whether Kilic's intensity represented
official Ankara's thinking or his own views. The GOAJ has subjected
Turkey, often through Kilic personally, to an intense display of
displeasure and bluntly predicted a near-total breakdown in relations.
In any case it has been our impression for some time that the Turkish
Embassy has been lobbying the GOT furiously to "balance" the steps it
takes so as not to destroy relations with its longtime ally Azerbaijan,
while mending them with the Armenians. DERSE
(Azerireport)
http://azerireport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2946&Ite mid=53
AzeriReport
Sept 14 2011
WASHINGTON DC. September 14, 2011: The new WikiLeaks report discloses a
diplomatic cable from the US Embassy in Baku to the US State Department
dated April 6, 2009. The cable discusses the telephone call of the
Turkish ambassador Hilusi Kilic to the US ambassador Anne Derse
where the former expressed his deep concerns about the US push for
the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement without paying attention to the
resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. In short, the Turkish
diplomat said Turkey could not afford gaining Armenia at the expense
of losing Azerbaijan. Below is the full text of the diplomatic cable:
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000269
SIPDIS
NOFORN
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, DAS BRYZA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2034
TAGS: PREL, TU, AM, AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: TURKISH AMBASSADOR PLEADS FOR REAL N-K PROGRESS
TO ACCOMPANY ARMENIAN OPENING
REF: BAKU 258 (NOTAL)
Classified By: Ambassador Anne Derse, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (S/NF) Summary. Turkish Ambassador Hilusi Kilic called Ambassador
Derse Sunday April 5 to relay his deep alarm at the coming "crisis"
in Azerbaijan-Turkey relations and plead for U.S. assistance to ensure
that Armenia continues to negotiate in good faith on Nagorno-Karabakh
(NK) after achieving an agreement with Turkey to open the border
and begin normalization of relations. Kilic relayed that the GOAJ
had made it clear to him that if Turkey expects Azerbaijan to accept
the border opening without a prior solution to N-K, then Turkey must
demand Armenian agreement to the Minsk Group's Basic Principles. Shaken
by his government's failure to convince President Aliyev to attend
the Istanbul summit and by gathering signals that the rapprochement
will have serious domestic political consequences in both Turkey
and Azerbaijan, Kilic expressed hope that President Obama's personal
involvement in the issue would suffice to avert a total breakdown in
relations. End Summary.
2. (S/NF) Turkish Ambassador in Baku Hilusi Kilic asked to meet the
Ambassador on Sunday, April 5 to relay his deep alarm over the looming
&crisis8 in Turkey-Azerbaijani relations ) the most serious since
Azerbaijan,s independence, he said ) and to plead for US assistance
in pushing the Armenians to be constructive on NK and in crafting a
&win-win-win8 solution. &We want to win Armenia, but not at the cost
of losing Azerbaijan, the Turkic world, the Southern Corridor. We are
trying to do something good (with the Armenians), but we are doing
something bad too (with Azerbaijan). We have to balance. The processes
must go together. We want to resolve the Armenian problem but we must
think of Azerbaijan too ) why can,t we settle both at the same time?
We cannot let Turkish-Azerbaijan relations crash. It is unimaginable,
the costs are too high.8 He said the GOAJ has made clear to him that
they want Armenian agreement on the Basic Principles as the price
for their accepting the border opening.
3. (S/NF) Kilic said he is &in shock8 that Erdogan,s call Saturday
to President Aliyev, which followed calls from Secretary Clinton and
President Gul the previous evening, failed to win Aliyev,s presence
in Istanbul. Erdogan pitched Aliyev hard on the opportunity Istanbul
presented for discussion with President Obama and Turkish leadership,
to no avail. Erdogan excused himself to Aliyev saying that he had been
so busy during the elections he did not know how far the Turkey-Armenia
issue had gone. President Gul also had spoken to Aliyev Friday, at
which time Aliyev said he had not seen Gul,s statement with respect to
reports that agreement to open borders would be signed April 16. The
Turkish Embassy sent that statement and Erdogan,s London statement
that strongly associated the border opening to the N-K issue to Aliyev,
but they had not sufficed to win his presence.
4. (S/NF) Kilic pointed to strong reaction in the Azeri press Sunday,
when the GOAJ began to comment publicly on the negative impact of
the Turkey/Armenia process on prospects for resolution of NK. In
addition to the MFA statement that Turkish-Armenian normalization was
not in Azerbaijan,s interests, the Parliament, think-tank analysts,
the opposition, had all commented strongly against Turkish &betrayal.8
Turkish citizens are getting rude comments from people on the street
and the Embassy staff is getting threatening phone calls. It will
get worse, he predicted, in Azerbaijan and in Turkey too. Next week,
he expected, the Turkish opposition will take off the gloves and use
this issue to strike a blow at Erdogan and the AKP. It will resonate
with the Turkish public. Further, he said, Russia, Iran and Armenia
are joined in pushing Turkish normalization without NK progress )
they want Azerbaijan and Turkey to be split, this strengthens their
geopolitical position.
5. (S/NF) Kilic's view is that only U.S. pressure can compel the
Armenians to stay constructively engaged in the N-K process. &We need
US help to push the Armenians. We have to push them. They are not
in a hurry ) they occupy Azerbaijan,s territory. If they want peace
with Turkey at least they can be constructive. We are trying to do our
best but everyone knows Azerbaijan,s territory is occupied by Armenia,
and it is because of the Armenian lobbies in the US and Europe that
Azerbaijan is paying the bill. It is not fair. Azerbaijan feels alone,
between Russia and Iran. He said President Obama had shown with his
work reassuring Turkey about the nomination of Anders Fogh Rasmussen
to be NATO SYG that he will lead, he will be the leader of the world.
Turkey trusts him and appreciates his initiative. Turkey needs
President Obama's leadership on this issue, too, he said.
6. (S/NF) Ambassador reiterated to Kilic the points she and EUR DAS
Matthew Bryza had made when she hosted Kilic at dinner (septel),
namely that the United States supports Turkey's normalization process
with Armenia; while at the same time recognizing that intensified
effort is necessary to keep the N-K process moving in this time of
change. The Secretary's personal involvement in Minsk Group issues
and her dispatching DAS Bryza to Baku twice in one week to consult the
GOAJ, are clear indications that the USG is serious about shepherding
both sides of the N-K conflict to a just and lasting settlement.
Comment
7. (S/NF) It was not fully clear whether Kilic's intensity represented
official Ankara's thinking or his own views. The GOAJ has subjected
Turkey, often through Kilic personally, to an intense display of
displeasure and bluntly predicted a near-total breakdown in relations.
In any case it has been our impression for some time that the Turkish
Embassy has been lobbying the GOT furiously to "balance" the steps it
takes so as not to destroy relations with its longtime ally Azerbaijan,
while mending them with the Armenians. DERSE
(Azerireport)
http://azerireport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2946&Ite mid=53