Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 9 2005
TABDC co-chairman Kaan Soyak: `Conflict between Azerbaijan and
Armenia cannot be resolved by keeping the borderlines close’
07 September 2005 [11:31] – Today.Az
Co-chairman of Council for Development of Turkey-Armenia Economical
Relations (TABDC) Kaan Soyak’s exclusive interview to `APA’.
– How do you evaluate the current situation of Turkish-Armenian
economical relations?
– The economical relations are developing well despite of all
difficulties; a lot of businessmen are establishing mutual relations.
Armenian and Turkish businessmen are cooperating especially in the
market of Russia and Middle Asia. Armenian Diaspora and Turkish
businessmen have established serious relations recently. There are a
lot of representatives of Armenian Diaspora willing to meet and
cooperate with the businessmen from Anatolia.
– How much is the total volume of trade turnover between Armenian and
Turkish businessmen at the moment?
– This is not less than 100-120 million dollars. The nations of both
countries are interested in establishing economical relations. There
were large-scale trade relations between the Turks and Armenians in
the history of Ottoman too. Sale and purchase are mutually at the
moment .We have implemented some projects so far through the
organization I run. We are cooperating in a number of spheres,
especially energy, transportation, telecommunication, textile
industry, tourism.
– Have you achieved any positive results as the result of the
implementation of projects to normalize the relations between Armenia
and Turkey? Could you do any change to the public opinion in
comparison with the previous periods?
– Of course…Turkish community got to know Armenia, Armenians again.
They got to know that most of Armenians want to live in a friendly
atmosphere with Turkish people. Turkish community treats the problems
between Armenia and Azerbaijan more objectively; wrong policies of
both countries are given coverage by the press obviously. It is
accepted now that Russia’s obvious policy for the benefit of Armenia
in previous years did nothing good. Besides, Turkish public opinion
advocates objective resolution of the conflict. The economical
difficulties faced by Anatolia province are due to the closing of
Turkey-Armenia borderlines. Azerbaijan is also responsible as Armenia
for Turkey facing this problem.
– Is Turkey which is facing hardships in regard to access to European
Union expected to take any positive step in the direction of opening
its borderlines with Armenia?
-European Union is expecting Turkey-Armenia borderlines to open
obviously. There is no reason to prevent this. Thus, Europeans do not
think like Azerbaijanis regarding this matter.I mean, the conflict
between Azerbaijan and Armenia cannot be resolved by closing the
borderlines, as you see it has not been solved so far. Azerbaijan
puts pressure on Turkey for leaving the borderlines closed. However,
changing of this policy would ease Turkey and provide opportunity for
finding more active variant supported by the international community
with regard to the resolution of the conflict. If Robert Kocharyan
and Ilham Aliyev reach a consensus concerning the resolution of the
conflict in Kazan on 26 August the matter of opening the borderlines
will come to the agenda, of course.
– How does the international community assess the activity of TABDC?
– They think positively concerning our activity. We have relations
with a number of organizations. We have regular contacts with the
high ranking officials of the important states. Even the UNO approves
the activity of the TABDC and supports it. Our functioning is
indicated as a model in other similar regions of the world.
– How do you evaluate the imprisonment of historical scientist Ektan
Turkyilmaz in Turkey?
-I regretted that Turkyilmaz was imprisoned, regrettably, Armenian
government made a great mistake here. The matter of releasing of
Turkyilmaz brought Turks and Armenians together. We all want him to
be set free. Personally I do not believe that Turkyilmaz attempted to
export forbidden books from Armenia on purpose. Azerbaijanis, Turks
and Armenians can cooperate for releasing this scientist. The number
of those intending to investigate the events happened in 1915 began
to increase in the past few years. The number of those willing to
investigate these archives has increased. The step taken by Armenia
is not a right one.
– The official Ankara announced that it will not open its borderlines
with Armenia in the period when you are increasing your efforts. How
do such statements affect the activity of the TABDC?
– Of course, such statements are not approvable, Ankara stated that
its official position depends on the improvement in the resolution of
the Upper Garabagh conflict and waits for the step taken in this
direction. A consensus should be reached regarding this matter. The
step to be taken by Azerbaijan is also important as the step of
Armenia. Regrettably, it would not be right to announce the
communities of both countries about the steps to be taken. Do
remember how the radical nationalists criticized Turkey’s supporting
Annan plan on the resolution of the Cyprus conflict. The communities
of Azerbaijan and Armenia are very responsible for this matter. They
have to support the step to be taken by the government and should
know that these steps will be the most right steps for the future of
the peoples even if they are not the most ideal ones.
– We would like to know your opinion concerning the so-called
`genocide of Armenians’…
– We do not deal with this matter, however, we want the both sides to
discuss the matter together, exchange their information and
documents. I treat this matter a little bit morally. I am impressed
when seeing that Armenians from Anatolia still preserve the
traditions of Anatolia though they lived in foreign countries for 2-3
generations. Though I want to tell them `come back and turn to your
homes’ inside me I know they will not return. God willing, if
Turkey-Armenia borderlines are opened thousands of immigrant
Armenians from Anatolia will visit Turkey, Armenia, even Azerbaijan
as tourists. It is very important for us to understand each other
morally in regard with the solution of the events happened in 1915.
– Do you believe the reconciliation of Turkish and Armenian peoples
and opening of the borders?
– I believe that, peace will be restored in the South Caucasus in a
shortest time and the borderlines will be opened. Azerbaijan and
Armenia should reach a consensus and Turkey-Armenia borderline should
be opened in order to reconcile. The meeting due to in Kazan is very
important in this matter, I believe that peace will be achieved soon
if no one prevents it. The most important problem will be the status
of the Upper Garabagh, of course. There must a formula for both
countries to reach a consensus. Can Turkish businessmen cooperate
with the businessmen of Upper Garabagh if there is no peace? Why not?
There can never be any obstacle for trade. But, Upper Garabagh is not
recognized by the international community. Therefore, no credit can
be given to this region, the goods exported her can not be insured,
international banks cannot function, there is no international
guarantee for the capital invested here. There are some other
problems, only free trade can be realized with this region unless the
status of Upper Garabagh is defined, but, of course, no one wants
such trade. The situation is the same in North Cyprus that is why no
capital is invested to this region. I think, tourism must be the
first sector which will be given impulse to by Turkey, Georgia,
Azerbaijan and Armenia jointly, if peace is achieved and the borders
are opened. The South Caucasus has the richest tourism potential in
the world; this region can attract thousands of tourisms.
– The TABDC demonstrated the initiative on crossing the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export pipeline through Armenia… Do you
still support your initiative?
– The TABDC called the pipeline to pass through Armenia as `Pipeline
of peace’, it means, this pipeline will link us for many years. All
the countries, including Azerbaijan admit that the pipeline to pass
through Armenia is more effective economically. The construction of
Armenia section of the pipeline means 20% reduction in the financial
expenditures. We cannot say that this matter was decided fully, there
are pipelines remained from the USSR period in Armenia and it is
possible to reconstruct these pipelines by the account of very little
investment. As the result, Turkey and Azerbaijan might gain a lot of
incomes from these pipelines.
– How much is Turkish community ready for the opinions, ideas you
mention?
-Turkish public fed up with the political difficulties, we have
Cyprus problem which has been lasted for more than 30 years and
expected to last, the problems with Iraq and Syria have not been
solved and the problem in regard with Armenians has not been solved
either. Turkish public opinion would not judge Azerbaijan 7-8 years
ago, but now the public opinion is that Azerbaijan is not making
enough efforts for achieving peace.
– What do think, your efforts will result in when Armenia makes
territorial claims against Turkey?
– The territorial claims have no ground and I have not met any
Armenian working seriously in this direction. Minor part of the
Armenian Diaspora claim this, but these claims are not accepted
seriously by the community. The borderlines of the two countries are
guaranteed by the international commitments and these claims will be
removed after the diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia are
restored. As the matter of fact, Azerbaijani Turks, Armenians and
Anatolia Turks must chose a target as it is in Europe in which there
is no borders and it is possible to move freely. Who can tell that
one state has a territorial claim against the other in Europe today?
Regrettably, such matters are only disputed in our region.
– There are Russian military bases in Armenia; don’t you think that
this factor might endanger Turkish capital invested to the economy of
Armenia?
– Russia is not a threatening factor for Turkey; on the contrary,
Turkey can meet some needs of Russian military bases. The Turkish are
real professionals in meeting the needs of military objects. The USA
military bases have been in Turkey for a long time and the needs of
these bases have been met by Turkey. Russia intends to function
together with Turkey. Russia and Turkey can keep peace in the South
Caucasus jointly. The dividends gained by keeping peace in the South
Caucasus are many times better for Russia than the dividends gained
by the military bases.
– Have you been put any pressures by the government and NGOs of
Azerbaijan with regard to your efforts in the direction of
normalizing the relations with Armenia?
– We want to establish peace between Armenians and Turkish people and
we believe that our activity will be the foundation of peace and
tranquility in the whole South Caucasus. On the other hand, we do not
treat the problem like Armenia or Turkey. Therefore, we have been
pressured by the organizations that interpret the problem meeting the
interests of Azerbaijan. We always tell them to take into
consideration the interests of Turkey too.
– Does the Foreign Ministry of Turkey support your activity?
– We are not linked with the government; we are NGO that tries to
normalize Turkish-Armenian relations. We have nothing against Turkey,
Armenia or Azerbaijan. Turkish Foreign Ministry is aware of our
activity.
– Are you supported by any people or organization from Azerbaijan?
– No Azerbaijani or organization from Azerbaijan judged us when we
explained our action plan. On the contrary, there are many persons
and organizations that want us to include Azerbaijan into our
activity circle. We are going to expand our action circle by the
account of Azerbaijan and Georgia in a shortest time.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress