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Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
April 11 2014
Ukraine crisis may trigger `domino effect': FM DavutoÄ?lu
Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu has warned of a domino effect after
Crimea split from Ukraine and joined Russia, saying it could set an
example for other frozen conflicts.
`Our concern is not only Ukraine. If this trend starts, which is an
act against territorial integrity, there are many other frozen
conflicts like Trans-Dniester, Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh. We do
not want the Ukraine crisis to start a domino effect in and around the
Black Sea and the neighboring regions of Turkey,' DavutoÄ?lu told the
Japanese Nikkei Asian Review magazine.
DavutoÄ?lu yesterday departed for Japan to attend a meeting of the
Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) in Hiroshima. He
will also hold talks with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida.
The foreign minister said Turkey has a unique position over the
Ukraine crisis. `Turkey is in a unique position in these developments.
We are the only neighbor to both Ukraine and Russia that also has
direct access to Crimea; therefore, we are following developments very
closely. Poland is also a neighbor to both Russia and Ukraine but with
no direct access to Crimea,' DavutoÄ?lu told the magazine, while
underlining the importance of international law. `It is very important
for us that all these issues will be resolved within the framework of
international law, diplomacy and through negotiations with respect to
good, neighborly relations.'
The top diplomat also elaborated on the occupation of government
buildings and the declaration of people's republics in the eastern
cities of Kharkiv and Donetsk. `These are not positive signals. What I
said is important. Kharkiv, Donetsk and other regions should be
included actively in the Kyiv government, and everybody must respect
the territorial integrity of Ukraine and have a proportional role in
the future of the nation,' he said.
Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov promised yesterday not to
prosecute pro-Russian activists occupying government buildings if they
laid down their arms and halted a four-day standoff.
DavutoÄ?lu, meanwhile, said Turkey did not expect a crisis with Russia
over energy. `Turkey's energy agreements with Russia are clear and
have been continuing for many years without any problems.
Turkey of course respects agreements, and we don't expect any crisis
in that sense. But the energy issue is important for all countries,
and it should be seen as a tool or instrument of cooperation rather
than conflict or confrontation.'
Asked about the 2009 Ukrainian gas crisis in which the flow of Russian
gas via Ukraine to Turkey also stopped and about Turkey's energy
options, DavutoÄ?lu said the country was diversifying both its energy
resources and routes.
`It's not just because of the Ukraine crisis, we had already decided
to diversify both energy resources and different routes, and the
nuclear plants we are building with Japan and Russia are an
alternative source of energy. As for natural gas, we are buying from
Azerbaijan via the Tanap project. We are diversifying our energy using
all these. That is not in regard to the Ukrainian issue; we started
this process long before. Concerning this particular issue, we do not
expect a crisis, as there are clear agreements between Turkey and
Russia. We have not faced big problems until now, and in that sense,
we do not expect a crisis,' DavutoÄ?lu said.
April 11 2014
Ukraine crisis may trigger `domino effect': FM DavutoÄ?lu
Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu has warned of a domino effect after
Crimea split from Ukraine and joined Russia, saying it could set an
example for other frozen conflicts.
`Our concern is not only Ukraine. If this trend starts, which is an
act against territorial integrity, there are many other frozen
conflicts like Trans-Dniester, Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh. We do
not want the Ukraine crisis to start a domino effect in and around the
Black Sea and the neighboring regions of Turkey,' DavutoÄ?lu told the
Japanese Nikkei Asian Review magazine.
DavutoÄ?lu yesterday departed for Japan to attend a meeting of the
Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) in Hiroshima. He
will also hold talks with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida.
The foreign minister said Turkey has a unique position over the
Ukraine crisis. `Turkey is in a unique position in these developments.
We are the only neighbor to both Ukraine and Russia that also has
direct access to Crimea; therefore, we are following developments very
closely. Poland is also a neighbor to both Russia and Ukraine but with
no direct access to Crimea,' DavutoÄ?lu told the magazine, while
underlining the importance of international law. `It is very important
for us that all these issues will be resolved within the framework of
international law, diplomacy and through negotiations with respect to
good, neighborly relations.'
The top diplomat also elaborated on the occupation of government
buildings and the declaration of people's republics in the eastern
cities of Kharkiv and Donetsk. `These are not positive signals. What I
said is important. Kharkiv, Donetsk and other regions should be
included actively in the Kyiv government, and everybody must respect
the territorial integrity of Ukraine and have a proportional role in
the future of the nation,' he said.
Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov promised yesterday not to
prosecute pro-Russian activists occupying government buildings if they
laid down their arms and halted a four-day standoff.
DavutoÄ?lu, meanwhile, said Turkey did not expect a crisis with Russia
over energy. `Turkey's energy agreements with Russia are clear and
have been continuing for many years without any problems.
Turkey of course respects agreements, and we don't expect any crisis
in that sense. But the energy issue is important for all countries,
and it should be seen as a tool or instrument of cooperation rather
than conflict or confrontation.'
Asked about the 2009 Ukrainian gas crisis in which the flow of Russian
gas via Ukraine to Turkey also stopped and about Turkey's energy
options, DavutoÄ?lu said the country was diversifying both its energy
resources and routes.
`It's not just because of the Ukraine crisis, we had already decided
to diversify both energy resources and different routes, and the
nuclear plants we are building with Japan and Russia are an
alternative source of energy. As for natural gas, we are buying from
Azerbaijan via the Tanap project. We are diversifying our energy using
all these. That is not in regard to the Ukrainian issue; we started
this process long before. Concerning this particular issue, we do not
expect a crisis, as there are clear agreements between Turkey and
Russia. We have not faced big problems until now, and in that sense,
we do not expect a crisis,' DavutoÄ?lu said.