AZERI PUNDITS WARN OF "FRESH TERROR" IF PKK MEMBERS RELOCATE TO KARABAKH
Yeni Musavat, Baku
Feb 6 2008
Azerbaijani pundits have said that the reported possible relocation
of members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to the breakaway
region of Nagornyy Karabakh will lead to fresh terror, the opposition
newspaper Yeni Musavat reported on 6 February.
The paper said, without specifying the source of the report, that
following military operations in northern Iraq by Turkey against
the PKK, the latter has launched talks with Armenia in a bid to find
shelter in Nagornyy Karabakh.
The paper quoted political expert Eldar Namazov as saying that
relocation of PKK members to Nagornyy Karabakh will cause Azerbaijan
to face fresh terror threats.
Azerbaijan should urgently appeal to international organizations
over the issue and seek the help of Turkey for fighting the PKK,
Namazov added.
The paper also quoted Ilham Hasanov, senior adviser to the analytical
information department at the Azerbaijani parliament and political
expert, as saying that deployment of PKK in Nagornyy Karabakh will
result in "a new wave of terror in the region". Only joint actions
by Azerbaijan and Turkey can prevent this and preparations should be
started against this danger now, he said.
The paper went on to quote Alovsat Aliyev, the head of the centre to
provide migrants with legal assistance, as saying that PKK members
may be deployed in the region with the aim receiving training and
recruiting people. He confirmed that reports had circulated even before
about the intention of creating a Kurdish state in Azerbaijan’s Lacin
District currently held by ethnic Armenians troops.
The paper also said that there are several reasons why the PKK wants
to move to Azerbaijani territory.
First, Armenia is one of the countries that the PKK receives the
greatest support from. The paper quoted Turkish intelligence reports
that Armenia secretly sells weapons that it buys from Russia to
the PKK.
Second, PPK provided "active support" to Armenians when the latter
were taking control of Nagornyy Karabakh, and the aim was to divide
Azerbaijan’s territory later on.
Third, PKK has training camps in Nagornyy Karabakh that have been
operating for years now. It appears that Armenians have promised the
PKK to build new camps.
Fourth, it has been confirmed that the PKK has ethnic Russians,
Armenians, French, English, Bulgarians and others in its ranks,
the paper said. It added that it is a natural thing that they want
to find refuge with their Armenian colleagues in Nagornyy Karabakh.
Fifth, forces that guide the PKK believe that Turkey cannot invade
Armenia because the latter is under the protection of both the West
and Russia. PKK members believe that they will be safe in Armenia
and Azerbaijani territory held by Armenians, the paper said.
Yeni Azarbaycan, the organ of the governing New Azerbaijan Party,
quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov as telling reporters that
if need be, an antiterror operation might be held against the PKK in
Nagornyy Karabakh. The paper did not specify when and where Azimov
made the statement.