Eurasianet Organization
April 23 2004

AZERBAIJAN AND TURKEY COORDINATE NAGORNO-KARABAKH NEGOTIATING
POSITION
Mevlut Katik: 4/23/04

Turkish and Azerbaijani officials have defused a simmering bilateral
dispute concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, jointly endorsing a
“gradual approach” on a negotiated settlement of the conflict between
Azerbaijan and Armenia. The announcement came amid new international
efforts to jump-start the peace process.

Turkey and Azerbaijan have long had a special relationship, and
Ankara has been Baku’s staunchest supporter in the effort to reach a
political settlement to the Karabakh conflict. [For additional
information see the Eurasia Insight archive]. But in early 2004,
bilateral ties became strained after Ankara indicated that it might
re-open the Turkish-Armenian border to trade. Azerbaijani officials
reacted furiously to the Turkish suggestion, warning that it might
withdraw from the peace process if Ankara went through with the move.
[For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive].

The recent visit by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Turkey
appears to have restored a sense of equilibrium in relations. A joint
statement issued April 14 by Aliyev and Turkish President Ahmet
Necdet Sezer emphasized bilateral unity concerning the Karabakh peace
process. It reiterated a call for the “withdrawal of Armenia from
Azerbaijani occupied territories,” adding that a Karabakh settlement
would have to based on “respect for territorial integrity and
borders.”

Addressing the Turkish Parliament, Aliyev expressed a desire to
strengthen Azerbaijani-Turkish ties. “We believe that our countries
will continue to support each other in the future,” adding that “our
power depends on our unity.” Aliyev staked out a hard-line stance on
the Karabakh question, saying Azerbaijan would not accept any peace
deal that left the territory outside of Baku’s jurisdiction.
“Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan and will belong to us in the future,”
he said. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Karabakh peace talks have been stalled for years. [For background see
the Eurasia Insight archive]. The United States recently attempted to
build fresh momentum for negotiations by appointing Steven Mann as
the new US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, which oversees the peace
process. Mann, the former US envoy to the Caspian for energy-related
issues, replaced Rudolf Perina.

Azerbaijani media praised Mann’s appointment. The appointment “shows
that the United States will soon invest more effort to resolve” the
Karabakh issue, political analyst Khaladdin Ibrahimli wrote in the
Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq. Armenian leaders also cautiously
welcomed the appointment.

Mann participated in a “fact-finding meeting” on April 16 in Prague
between Azerbaijan’s new foreign minister, Elmar Mammadyarov, and his
Armenian counterpart Vardan Oskanian. Both foreign ministers
confirmed that no new proposals were presented during the meeting.
Oskanian indicated that his next meeting with Mammadyarov had been
tentatively scheduled for mid May.

Editor’s Note: Mevlut Katik is a London-based correspondent and
analyst. He is a former BBC correspondent and also worked for The
Economist group.