AZERI PLANE LANDS IN NORTHERN CYPRUS

AZG Armenian Daily #141, 30/07/2005

Neighbors

What Will Be the response of Greece and the Republic of Cyprus?

On July 27, an Azerbaijani plane with 86 lawmakers, businessmen,
journalists and art workers aboard took off from Baku airport heading
for Northern Cyprus. The plane of Azeri Imair Airline landed in
Turkish-controlled Erjar Airport at 10.00 pm local time. This was the
start of air connection between Azerbaijan and “Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus”.

Turkish public TV and Yeni Safak newspaper informed on July 28 that
the Azeri representative to Northern Cyprus, Mustafa Evra, met the
Azeri delegation. Ahmed Erentok, chairman of Azerbaijan-Turkey
Business Group, told journalists that the visit will last three days
during which the sides will sign 8 protocols.

Answering journalists questions at the airport, owner of Imair Airline
Fuzuli Aleqberov said that there are technical issues to be settled in
order to launch regular flights between Azerbaijan and Northern
Cyprus.

On July 28, the Azeri delegation met the former and current presidents
of “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”, minister of economy and
tourism and prime minister. Northern Cyprus-Azerbaijan business forum
will launch today.

Though the time of regular flights between Northern Cyprus and
Azerbaijan is unclear so far, one thing is evident: Turkey tries to
break the international isolation of the “Turkish Republic” through
Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev, on his part, is willingly
supporting Turkey despite the fact that he got no support from Turkish
authorities back in the presidential elections of 2003.

A conclusion to be drawn is that Azerbaijan’s support to Turkish
initiatives but a countermeasure to stand firm against the pressure of
the parliamentarian election this fall and a possible velvet
revolution.

Though Azerbaijan is hardly to recognize the “Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus”, it may well demand Turkey to keep closed its border
with Armenia against the favor of breaking Northern Cyprus’
isolation. It’s interesting what the response of EU member, Greece and
Cyprus, will be.

By Hakob Chakrian