Split within Azeri ruling team over Cyprus – opposition paper
Azadliq, Baku
6 May 04
Text of unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq on 6 May
headlined “We have became enemies with Turkey as well” and subheaded
“the Turkish press has named Azerbaijan an enemy state”
As was expected, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s Cyprus adventure
has caused, to put it mildly, the cooling in the relations between
Azerbaijan and Turkey. Of course, one cannot suppose that it will turn
from the problem of relations between the two countries’ authorities
to the problem of the relations between publics.
However, the worse thing is that the official relations established
with Turkey during the past 12 years of Azerbaijan’s independence have
been seriously stained. The worst thing is that this resulted from
clumsy diplomatic manoeuvres by the individual who claims the title of
Azerbaijani president.
On the other hand, it has become obvious that there is a split in the
political leadership of Azerbaijan, which is in a state of war with
Armenia . That is very dangerous. For example, Ilham Aliyev himself
can give clear comments neither on his statement in Turkey that “we
will recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”, nor on his
statement in Strasbourg that “we cannot recognize Cyprus”, or on
Azerbaijani MPs’ behaviour at the PACE Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe . Following this lack of position, various groups
inside the authorities voice different comments on the issue.
Circles linked to Ilham Aliyev regard the recent events from the point
of view of “Azerbaijan’s national interests”, whereas circles close to
chief of the presidential staff Ramiz Mehdiyev put them down as
irresponsibility. For example, the statement which the Foreign
Ministry issued yesterday presents the events within the framework of
the country’s “state interests”. At the same time, TV channels close
to Mehdiyev call these event a “disgrace” and drop a clear hint to the
opposite side that “diplomacy is a serious political business and
serious politicians should deal with it”.
The conflict inside the authorities resembles a brawl between mafia
groups. However, as these groups have seized the possibility of
deciding the country’s political fate, the Azerbaijani state is
receiving serious blows.
The Azerbaijani authorities are to blame for the fact that Turkey’s
main newspapers started publishing insulting articles about
Azerbaijan. How many times can it be recalled that when a national
leader visits a foreign country or addresses an audience, he should
not make statements just to please that country or audience. If we
look at all Ilham Aliyev’s foreign trips, it can be clearly seen that
he is busy making statements fitting the interests of audience he
addresses. We wonder, whether he will be able to accurately define
Armenia’s interests at a meeting with President Robert
Kocharyan?… ellipses as published
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
