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TURKEY, AZERBAIJAN SHOULD INCREASE EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN TIES
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 23 2013
23 September 2013 /LAMİYA ADİLGIZI, İSTANBUL
Turkey and Azerbaijan, neighboring countries that are connected through
ties of kinship, should intensify efforts to strengthen their bilateral
ties based on opportunities that will benefit both Ankara and Baku,
a top official from Azerbaijan has stated.
"Both states should reinforce their efforts to bolster ties and
increase cooperation and strategic partnership between the two
nations," said Novruz Mammadov, deputy chief of the Presidential
Administration of Azerbaijan and chief of the department for external
relations, during his meeting with Turkish journalists in İstanbul
late on Friday.
Talking about Azerbaijan as a rising power in the region and its
economic achievements, Mammadov particularly emphasized Azerbaijani
efforts in cooperation with Turkey that have resulted in the revival
of the historic Silk Road, despite many challenges.
"Our states [both Azerbaijan and Turkey] have been playing a huge
role in the realization of the historic Silk Road that will extend
from China to the United Kingdom. It is almost finished and I do
believe that together we will achieve this phenomenal success and
grab a slice of history, too," Mammadov said.
Particularly remarking on the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP)
that Turkey and Azerbaijan agreed to build in late 2012 to carry
Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian basin to Europe via Turkey,
Mammadov said the TANAP project stands out as a good example of the
strengthening relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey.
"The materialization of the TANAP project first of all aims to help
Turkey with its gas demand, a fact that is met with jealousy in some
other states, and then Azerbaijani gas is to flow to Europe via Turkey
to provide energy security for Western countries," Mammadov said.
The first stage of TANAP is scheduled to pipe 16 billion cubic meters
of gas a year from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz II field, which is later
to be doubled. TANAP would link the Caspian natural gas on the western
border of Turkey to Nabucco West and to Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary
as well as Europe's gas hub in Austria.
Underlining the importance of a strategic partnership with Turkey
that is based on unity of language, religion and history, Mammadov
said strengthening ties with Turkey should be considered the greatest
achievement of the Azerbaijani nation since Azerbaijan regained its
independence from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. "This unity
should be protected and boosted, as it is quite important," Mammadov
said, adding that relations with the Turkish nation should continue
to prosper.
Azerbaijan urges caution on Turkish-Armenian border issue Mammadov
especially made note of the debate about opening the Turkish border
with Armenia, emphasizing that the idea of opening the Armenian
border gates to Turkey is the propaganda of Western powers which aim
to alienate Turkey and Azerbaijan, two brother countries.
"Our relationship is not ordinary. Our relations are the reflection of
our common language, religion and the cultural roots and past we have
shared for a long time," Mammadov said, adding that the solidarity
between Azerbaijanis and Turks is important not just for the two
states but also for the stability and growth of the whole region.
"So we hope that Turkey, as a brother country, will take such steps
[on the issue of opening borders with Armenia] that won't further
depress Azerbaijanis and harm the ties of kinship between the two
nations," Mammadov said, urging both sides not to cause the problems
that have created trouble between the two nations.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity with
Azerbaijan after the Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent
of Azerbaijan in the early 1990s, including the Nagorno-Karabakh
territories. In 2009, the Zurich Protocols were signed between Armenia
and Turkey to normalize relations; however, the move did not bear
fruit, as the border remains closed.
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 23 2013
23 September 2013 /LAMİYA ADİLGIZI, İSTANBUL
Turkey and Azerbaijan, neighboring countries that are connected through
ties of kinship, should intensify efforts to strengthen their bilateral
ties based on opportunities that will benefit both Ankara and Baku,
a top official from Azerbaijan has stated.
"Both states should reinforce their efforts to bolster ties and
increase cooperation and strategic partnership between the two
nations," said Novruz Mammadov, deputy chief of the Presidential
Administration of Azerbaijan and chief of the department for external
relations, during his meeting with Turkish journalists in İstanbul
late on Friday.
Talking about Azerbaijan as a rising power in the region and its
economic achievements, Mammadov particularly emphasized Azerbaijani
efforts in cooperation with Turkey that have resulted in the revival
of the historic Silk Road, despite many challenges.
"Our states [both Azerbaijan and Turkey] have been playing a huge
role in the realization of the historic Silk Road that will extend
from China to the United Kingdom. It is almost finished and I do
believe that together we will achieve this phenomenal success and
grab a slice of history, too," Mammadov said.
Particularly remarking on the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP)
that Turkey and Azerbaijan agreed to build in late 2012 to carry
Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian basin to Europe via Turkey,
Mammadov said the TANAP project stands out as a good example of the
strengthening relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey.
"The materialization of the TANAP project first of all aims to help
Turkey with its gas demand, a fact that is met with jealousy in some
other states, and then Azerbaijani gas is to flow to Europe via Turkey
to provide energy security for Western countries," Mammadov said.
The first stage of TANAP is scheduled to pipe 16 billion cubic meters
of gas a year from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz II field, which is later
to be doubled. TANAP would link the Caspian natural gas on the western
border of Turkey to Nabucco West and to Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary
as well as Europe's gas hub in Austria.
Underlining the importance of a strategic partnership with Turkey
that is based on unity of language, religion and history, Mammadov
said strengthening ties with Turkey should be considered the greatest
achievement of the Azerbaijani nation since Azerbaijan regained its
independence from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. "This unity
should be protected and boosted, as it is quite important," Mammadov
said, adding that relations with the Turkish nation should continue
to prosper.
Azerbaijan urges caution on Turkish-Armenian border issue Mammadov
especially made note of the debate about opening the Turkish border
with Armenia, emphasizing that the idea of opening the Armenian
border gates to Turkey is the propaganda of Western powers which aim
to alienate Turkey and Azerbaijan, two brother countries.
"Our relationship is not ordinary. Our relations are the reflection of
our common language, religion and the cultural roots and past we have
shared for a long time," Mammadov said, adding that the solidarity
between Azerbaijanis and Turks is important not just for the two
states but also for the stability and growth of the whole region.
"So we hope that Turkey, as a brother country, will take such steps
[on the issue of opening borders with Armenia] that won't further
depress Azerbaijanis and harm the ties of kinship between the two
nations," Mammadov said, urging both sides not to cause the problems
that have created trouble between the two nations.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity with
Azerbaijan after the Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent
of Azerbaijan in the early 1990s, including the Nagorno-Karabakh
territories. In 2009, the Zurich Protocols were signed between Armenia
and Turkey to normalize relations; however, the move did not bear
fruit, as the border remains closed.