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ERDOGAN IN AZERBAIJAN TO GIVE FRESH BOOST TO TIES
Today's Zaman
Sept 11 2012
Turkey
11 September 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday for talks to further bolster bilateral
relations, predominantly in economic ties and the natural gas trade,
with Azerbaijan.
Speaking to reporters before his departure to Azerbaijan, Erdoğan said
cooperation on energy was the most strategic dimension of the relations
between Turkey and Azerbaijan, which he said were characterized by
a shared culture, language and history.
"Turkey and Azerbaijan are two ethnic kin nations, two friendly
countries. Our cooperation based on joint cultural, linguistic and
historical relations will continue to strengthen due to cooperation
through [bilateral and multilateral] energy projects," Erdoğan said
at the Ankara Esenboğa Airport.
Erdoğan is on a two-day visit to Azerbaijan upon the invitation of
Azerbaijan's president to participate in the second meeting of the
Turkey-Azerbaijan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council. Talks will
focus on energy ties, particularly on the planned Trans-Anatolian gas
pipeline. The two countries agreed in June to build the pipeline,
transporting Azerbaijani gas through Turkey to Europe. The
Trans-Anatolian pipeline, planned to have an initial capacity of
16 billion cubic meters a year, is expected to cost $7 billion. The
construction is set to start in 2014, and is estimated to be completed
by 2018.
The first meeting of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council
between Turkey and Azerbaijan was held in İzmir on Oct. 25, 2011,
a material and momentous move towards a Turkey-Azerbaijan strategic
partnership and mutual assistance.
President Aliyev and his spouse, Mehriban Aliyeva, personally welcomed
Erdoğan and his wife, Emine, and the accompanying delegation at the
Gabala Airport in Azerbaijan.
Before the launch of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council,
Turkish and Azerbaijani leaders came together in the city of Gabala to
discuss bilateral relations at different levels. After the meeting,
delegations from the two countries held a joint cabinet meeting to
discuss ways to improve bilateral cooperation on political, military
and defense areas.
Following the meetings of the delegations, cooperation agreements
were signed in the energy, transportation, trade and media sectors
between the two countries.
Erdoğan is accompanied by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Economy
Minister Zafer Cağlayan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner
Yıldız, Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz, Transportation, Maritime Affairs
and Communication Minister Binali Yıldırım, as well as Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) parliamentary group deputy chairman
Mustafa Elitaş and AK Party Deputy Chairman Omer Celik on his visit
to Azerbaijan.
Karabakh conflict
Erdoğan's visit comes amid heightened tensions between Azerbaijan
and Armenia after Azerbaijan gave a hero's welcome last month to a
soldier, Ramil Safarov, convicted of killing an Armenian during a
NATO course in 2004.
Tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia are already high over the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Sporadic firefights have intensified
along the frontline around the region, a mountainous enclave within
Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus controlled by ethnic Armenians since
a war in the early 1990s that killed about 30,000 people.
Azerbaijan has recently stepped up threats to take the region back
and Armenia says it would not stand aside if the enclave it helped
establish was attacked. Analysts warn a war could draw in Turkey and
Russia as well. Armenia has a collective security agreement with its
regional ally Russia, while Azerbaijan has one with Turkey, itself a
member of NATO for which an attack on one member state is an attack
on all 28.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned of a "much broader
conflict" when she visited Armenia in June and NATO Secretary-General
Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Friday he was "deeply concerned" by
the Azerbaijani soldier's pardon last month.
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have more powerful weapons than two
decades ago and if pipelines taking Azerbaijani oil and gas to Europe
via Turkey or Armenia's nuclear power station are threatened, war
could spread.
Relations between Turkey and Armenia were strained after Turkey closed
its border with Armenia in a show of solidarity with Azerbaijan during
the Nagorno-Karabakh war. Turkey also rejects Armenia's insistence
that Ankara should recognize the killing of Armenians in Ottoman
Turkey during World War I as genocide.
PM Erdoğan due to visit Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Following his visit to Azerbaijan, Erdoğan is also scheduled to
visit Ukraine as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina. Speaking in Ankara,
Erdoğan said the people he is going to meet in Ukraine would focus on
devising ways to boost relations further, adding that he would meet
with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych during a session of the
Turkey-Ukraine High Level Strategic Cooperation Council on Thursday.
The Turkish prime minister said he would also address the ninth
edition of the Yalta European Strategy (YES) -- an international
network that promotes Ukraine's European integration -- as the event's
guest of honor.
Erdoğan will proceed to Bosnia and Herzegovina to receive an award
granted in the name of Ottoman statesman Isa-Beg Ishakovic, and he
will also meet with Bakir Izetbegovic, the Bosniak member of the
Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Today's Zaman
Sept 11 2012
Turkey
11 September 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday for talks to further bolster bilateral
relations, predominantly in economic ties and the natural gas trade,
with Azerbaijan.
Speaking to reporters before his departure to Azerbaijan, Erdoğan said
cooperation on energy was the most strategic dimension of the relations
between Turkey and Azerbaijan, which he said were characterized by
a shared culture, language and history.
"Turkey and Azerbaijan are two ethnic kin nations, two friendly
countries. Our cooperation based on joint cultural, linguistic and
historical relations will continue to strengthen due to cooperation
through [bilateral and multilateral] energy projects," Erdoğan said
at the Ankara Esenboğa Airport.
Erdoğan is on a two-day visit to Azerbaijan upon the invitation of
Azerbaijan's president to participate in the second meeting of the
Turkey-Azerbaijan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council. Talks will
focus on energy ties, particularly on the planned Trans-Anatolian gas
pipeline. The two countries agreed in June to build the pipeline,
transporting Azerbaijani gas through Turkey to Europe. The
Trans-Anatolian pipeline, planned to have an initial capacity of
16 billion cubic meters a year, is expected to cost $7 billion. The
construction is set to start in 2014, and is estimated to be completed
by 2018.
The first meeting of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council
between Turkey and Azerbaijan was held in İzmir on Oct. 25, 2011,
a material and momentous move towards a Turkey-Azerbaijan strategic
partnership and mutual assistance.
President Aliyev and his spouse, Mehriban Aliyeva, personally welcomed
Erdoğan and his wife, Emine, and the accompanying delegation at the
Gabala Airport in Azerbaijan.
Before the launch of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council,
Turkish and Azerbaijani leaders came together in the city of Gabala to
discuss bilateral relations at different levels. After the meeting,
delegations from the two countries held a joint cabinet meeting to
discuss ways to improve bilateral cooperation on political, military
and defense areas.
Following the meetings of the delegations, cooperation agreements
were signed in the energy, transportation, trade and media sectors
between the two countries.
Erdoğan is accompanied by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Economy
Minister Zafer Cağlayan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner
Yıldız, Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz, Transportation, Maritime Affairs
and Communication Minister Binali Yıldırım, as well as Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) parliamentary group deputy chairman
Mustafa Elitaş and AK Party Deputy Chairman Omer Celik on his visit
to Azerbaijan.
Karabakh conflict
Erdoğan's visit comes amid heightened tensions between Azerbaijan
and Armenia after Azerbaijan gave a hero's welcome last month to a
soldier, Ramil Safarov, convicted of killing an Armenian during a
NATO course in 2004.
Tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia are already high over the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Sporadic firefights have intensified
along the frontline around the region, a mountainous enclave within
Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus controlled by ethnic Armenians since
a war in the early 1990s that killed about 30,000 people.
Azerbaijan has recently stepped up threats to take the region back
and Armenia says it would not stand aside if the enclave it helped
establish was attacked. Analysts warn a war could draw in Turkey and
Russia as well. Armenia has a collective security agreement with its
regional ally Russia, while Azerbaijan has one with Turkey, itself a
member of NATO for which an attack on one member state is an attack
on all 28.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned of a "much broader
conflict" when she visited Armenia in June and NATO Secretary-General
Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Friday he was "deeply concerned" by
the Azerbaijani soldier's pardon last month.
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have more powerful weapons than two
decades ago and if pipelines taking Azerbaijani oil and gas to Europe
via Turkey or Armenia's nuclear power station are threatened, war
could spread.
Relations between Turkey and Armenia were strained after Turkey closed
its border with Armenia in a show of solidarity with Azerbaijan during
the Nagorno-Karabakh war. Turkey also rejects Armenia's insistence
that Ankara should recognize the killing of Armenians in Ottoman
Turkey during World War I as genocide.
PM Erdoğan due to visit Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Following his visit to Azerbaijan, Erdoğan is also scheduled to
visit Ukraine as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina. Speaking in Ankara,
Erdoğan said the people he is going to meet in Ukraine would focus on
devising ways to boost relations further, adding that he would meet
with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych during a session of the
Turkey-Ukraine High Level Strategic Cooperation Council on Thursday.
The Turkish prime minister said he would also address the ninth
edition of the Yalta European Strategy (YES) -- an international
network that promotes Ukraine's European integration -- as the event's
guest of honor.
Erdoğan will proceed to Bosnia and Herzegovina to receive an award
granted in the name of Ottoman statesman Isa-Beg Ishakovic, and he
will also meet with Bakir Izetbegovic, the Bosniak member of the
Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.