BAKU HOPES TO RESOLVE THE KARABAKH CONFLICT THROUGH TURKIC POWER

PanARMENIAN.Net
31.07.2007 GMT+04:00

Even if "Turkic Schengen" is applied, it will happen only the day
when Turkey is rejected the EU membership once and for all.

Turkish government has unilaterally introduced into practice the
visa-free system together with a number of Turkish speaking states –
Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The
system is applicable only for citizens entering the country for not
more than 30 days. Almost the whole Azeri Press writes about it often
contradicting each other and the reality.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Thus, the Turkish Embassy in Baku functions according
to former system and grants visas.

According to Wafa Guluzade, "If Europe can establish its union, its
visa-free zone, why the Turkish speaking countries can’t establish
a similar union and zone?" Really, why shouldn’t be this union
established? This step will allow Turkey to become a more active
state in the region.

The Azeri Ministry of Foreign Affairs tried to do some illustrations
on the issue. "In spite of the decision of the Turkish government
about canceling the visa system with Azerbaijan, Baku doesn’t consider
taking any similar steps towards Turkey. This decision of the Turkish
government is unilateral and doesn’t oblige the other party to take
similar measures. The statement made by the Turkish Minister of Foreign
Affairs Abdullah Gul about the forthcoming abolition of the visa
system for the citizens of Turkish speaking countries is qualified as
a serious step towards the unification of Turkic Word, said the Press
Secretary of the Azeri Minister of Foreign Affairs Khazar Ibrahim.

According to Nizami Jafarov, the statement made by A. Gul proves
that Turkey’s leading party has started thinking on all-Turkic
level. "So far different opinions have been heard in this regard,
the issue of establishing a Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States
has been put on the agenda. The establishment of the united Turkic
zone is necessary. Most of the problems will be decided after
its establishment. Today one side of the Turkic World is Europe,
the other one is East. East is in the center of attention of the
international monopoly and the exploitation of the given territories
from economic point of view still continues. Together with this,
great is the necessity of liquidating all the possible difficulties
in transportation and other spheres. The works carried out in the
sphere of transportation are expanded and the construction of the
roads from Azerbaijan to Turkey has begun," said N. Jafarov.

According to N. Jafarov, the visa system among the Turkic
countries should be abolished and it will be more profitable for
all parties. "It’s quite a different thing that there should be
a common control over the entry and exit of the country. However,
only the declaration of the idea about abolishing the visa system
for the citizens of Turkic Countries is not enough. A serious work
should be carried out. I am sure that at the times of the present
powers in Turkey this question will find its adequate answer for up
to the last Turkic state," he said.

One of the most interesting things is that Azerbaijan insists on
visa-free system to Turkey. The Central Asiatic countries try to
avoid being integrated into the Turkic Union, and this is quite
understandable – Russia is obviously stronger than Turkey and besides
for Presidents of Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan it is more useful to be CSTO
(Collective Security Treaty Organization) rather than GUAM member,
which Islam Karimov left right on time. Even if "Turkic Schengen"
is applied, it will happen only the day when Turkey is rejected the
EU membership once and for all.

There is one more thing which must be mentioned; no matter how much
Baku speaks about the "United Turkic World", this union doesn’t
exist in fact. Only Azerbaijan hopes to resolve the Karabakh
Conflict by through Turkey. The visa-free system will allow Baku
to receive Turkish military advisors or send its soldiers there for
trainings in Turkish military camps without any difficulty. But the
question is whether this will really help Baku to solve the Karabakh
Conflict? Hardly will it. The former President of Turkey Suleyman
Demirel had once said, "The Azeri people are our brothers… But we
are not carpet-baggers…" Honestly speaking we will help as much
as we can, but do not count on anything more. And Redgep Erdoghan’s
party may hardly become a "carpet-bagger".