New Anatolian, Turkey
May 29 2006

Azerbaijani parliamentarian: Key to solving Nagorno-Karabakh is in
Russia’s hands

Senem Caglayan – The New Anatolian / Ankara

Azerbaijani parliamentarian Akram Abdullayev said that the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem is a legacy of the Soviet Union to
Azerbaijan and Armenia and therefore the key to a solution rests in
Russia’s hands.
Speaking to The New Anatolian in an exclusive interview, Abdullayev,
who describes himself as a close friend to Turkey, also dismissed the
efforts of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia towards finding a solution
to the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, saying that the issue is
more complicated than was predicted. He urged the big powers to work
in cooperation with Russia in order to find a solution.
Warning against the dangers of a failure to find a diplomatic
solution to the disputed enclave, Abdullayev said that the
Azerbaijani people might think of military options since it is
unacceptable for them to give these lands to Armenia. Citing the
growing Azerbaijani economy and military, and predicting that the
Azerbaijani military budget will equal Armenia’s in the years to
come, Abdullayev stated that time is on Azerbaijan’s side.
Abdullayev, a member of the Turkish-Azerbaijani Interparliamentary
Friendship Group, expressed his hope for further development and
strengthening of relations between the two countries in various
areas, calling on Turkey and other Turkic nations to bring the
genocide committed against the Turks to the agenda of European
parliaments in retaliation for Armenian genocide claims.
Touching on the Iranian nuclear standoff, the Azerbaijani
parliamentarian said his country favors a diplomatic solution to the
crisis, warning of the dangers of military action against Iran for
the region. Abdullayev also hinted at Azerbaijan’s readiness to act
like a bridge between the U.S. and Iran to bring the nuclear standoff
to an end, citing his country’s good relations with the U.S. and
historic ties with neighboring Iran.
Amid the current row between the Iranian Azeris and Tehran over an
Iranian newspaper’s publication of humiliating cartoons of Iranian
Azeris, Abdullayev stated that although the Iranian Azeris play an
important role in their country’s politics, they would not push for a
regime change in the country, despite the assertions of some U.S.
circles. Warning against any kind of foreign intervention in the
domestic affairs of a country, Abdullayev said, “The Iranian people
choose their presidents and their regime. Foreign intervention would
create dangerous results and many problems.”
Here’s what Akram Abdullayev had to tell us:
TNA: How do you see the level of relations between Turkey and
Azerbaijan, and what could be done to further develop relations?
Abdullayev: I see no problem in bilateral relations. During the
latest visit of Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to Azerbaijan,
the two sides had consultations on how to further develop relations,
and this visit was also the confirmation of strategic friendship and
cooperation between the two countries. Whenever Azerbaijan faces a
problem during Council of Europe (CoE) meetings, Turkey is the sole
supporter of Azerbaijan. The mutual support during the Council of
Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) meetings is another indicator of
our warm relations and friendship. I hope our relations will be
further developed in various areas.
TNA: What’s your idea about the Nagorno-Karabakh problem? Are you
hopeful about a solution?
Abdullayev: Certainly, all the problems have solutions. Talks to find
a peaceful solution to the dispute will continue. President Ilham
Aliyev also discussed this issue during his meeting with U.S.
President George W. Bush in Washington. But should no peaceful
solution be found to the disputed enclave, the Azerbaijani people are
in favor of regaining these lands through military means. We won’t
give up these lands. We won’t present them to Armenia. If a solution
isn’t found through peace, the last resort for us is war.
TNA: What are your expectations from Turkey in this dispute?
Abdullayev: In this problem, Turkey is Azerbaijan’s political
partner. Turkey has an important role in the process of finding a
solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute but at the same time Turkey
has its own problems with Armenia. Armenians brought the Armenian
genocide claims to the agenda of the world in order to create a
headache for Turkey. Turkey has to work for the benefits of
Azerbaijan.
TNA: Could the process of normalization of relations between Turkey
and Armenia contribute to efforts to find a peaceful solution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute?
Abdullayev: This problem can’t be solved even if Turkey establishes
diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan or within the process of
normalization of relations because the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute isn’t
the problem of the region. The efforts of Turkey, Azerbaijan and
Armenia aren’t enough to solve the problem. We need the efforts of
big powers and organizations. The key to a solution is especially in
the hands of Russia. The Russian Army is in Armenia and if Azerbaijan
tries to find a solution through military means, it will face the
Russian Army.
It seems to me that finding a solution to the divided enclave is very
difficult. But time is on Azerbaijan’s side. This year Armenia’s
total budget is $1 billion, and the Azerbaijani military’s share of
the total budget is $600 billion. According to Aliyev’s estimates,
the Azerbaijani military’s share of the budget will be higher that
Armenia’s budget in the years to come. Azerbaijan is building up its
military but Armenia is unable to do that. Azerbaijan’s total budget
is more than $4 billion this year and it will be more than $6 billion
next year. As our country will develop economically, we will take our
deserved place among the world states and will have a big position.
TNA: Why aren’t Russia and other big powers working for a solution?
Do they have any interests in the continuation of the dispute in
Nagorno-Karabakh?
Abdullayev: There are visible and invisible sides of politics. The
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute didn’t start yesterday, it stems from the
1988 events while Gorbachev was president. Fifteen republics split
off from the Soviet Union. At that time the Soviet Union created
problems for each split-off republic in order to stop their
development. For instance, it created the Abkhazia problem for
Georgia, the Crimean problem for Ukraine and the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem for Azerbaijan and Armenia. At that time nobody wanted the
dissolution of the Soviet Union but this process was inevitable in
general. The Nagorno-Karabakh dispute is the legacy of the Soviet
Union to Azerbaijan. For these reasons, a solution could only be
found as a result of negotiations between Russia and other big
powers.
TNA: What is Azerbaijan’s position towards the Armenian genocide
claims and the French bill introducing prison terms for people who
question these claims?
Abdullayev: While bringing the genocide claims to the agenda of
European parliaments, Armenia aimed at creating an obstacle for
Turkey’s membership bid in the European Union. Those who brought the
issue to the French Parliament are the European parliamentarians well
paid by the Armenian lobby. Today, neither the Turkish genocide nor
the Armenian genocide is important for France.
Turks are a nation which faced a brutal genocide. But they didn’t
make their voices heard in the world. I think both Turkey and other
Turkic nations should bring the genocide committed against the Turks
to the world’s agenda and should work for the recognition of the
genocide by the international community.
TNA: What’s the position of Azerbaijan towards the nuclear standoff
between Iran and the West?
Abdullayev: Azerbaijan supports finding a diplomatic solution to the
nuclear crisis and it opposes military action against Iran.
Azerbaijan is a historic neighbor of Iran and the two countries have
good relations. There are some 20 million Iranian Azeris living in
Iran. Therefore, Azerbaijan can’t accept military action against Iran
and can’t stand to shed the blood of our brothers.
TNA: Can Azerbaijan play a mediator role between Iran and the U.S. in
the nuclear crisis, given the role of the Iranian Azeris?
Abdullayev: It might be or might not be. Since 2001 Azerbaijan has
become a member of the anti-terror coalition. It has good relations
both with the U.S. and Iran. Besides, it has cultural ties with Iran.
Iranian Azeris play a role in Iranian politics. For those reasons,
Azerbaijan can be a bridge between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. hasn’t
suggested that Azerbaijan play such a role yet, but the Azerbaijani
Parliament might consider debating this issue.
TNA: Can the Iranian Azeris be a catalyst for regime change in Iran,
as asserted by some U.S. circles?
Abdullayev: I don’t accept the intervention of any country in the
domestic affairs of another. If the Iranian citizens want to change
the regime, they will vote in accordance with this aim. The Iranian
president and regime are determined by the votes of its citizens.
Therefore, this issue should be left to the citizens. Even if the
U.S. wants to change the regime, it would be very difficult, and
intervention in Iranian politics would create dangerous consequences.