RAILROADS AND PIPELINES INTEGRATE THE CAUCASUS
Sedat Laciner

Journal of Turkish Weekly
July 28 2008
Turkey

The Caucasia is such a small region to fight for. Having a bloody
history, the region faced with numerous tragedies partly because of
being on crossroads. All these sorrowful events should remind us that
no nation can provide stability and security to the region without
co-operation of the other regional countries. In this framework,
the railroad that connects Kars, Tbilisi and Baku is a big step for
being hopeful for future. Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan is gradually
but in a confident manner attaining regional cooperation may be
even integration in the region that previously known with bloody
conflicts. First, Baku-Tiblisi-Ceyhan Pipeline (BTC) connected
these three countries; later, the gas pipelines solidified this
connection. The pipeline coming from Azerbaijan and Georgia was added
to the pipeline coming from Iran. Turkey and Georgia merged their
regional air traffic and now the railroads are on the way.

Thus, these three states are integrating with each other with long-term
common interests. Therefore, the railroads are bringing these three
countries in a non-separable manner.

Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railroad project includes development of 183 km
of existing railroad and construction of new railroads as 76 km in
Turkey and restoration of 26 km in Georgia. The estimated cost of the
project is $ 422 million. However, this cost probably will reach to
$600 million with the additional development projects. The railroad
line will have the yearly transportation capacity of 15 million tons
of goods.

This project may be seen as a small-range project for Turkey with its
length and cost. However, the function of the project is for Turkey and
the region is far more over its cost. First of all, a less developed
region of Turkey will be integrated to Azerbaijan and Georgia. In
addition, this project will ease the trade and transportation
with Azerbaijan and her open hinterland that reaches to the Middle
Asia. As we know the trade and social relations are highly relied on
the transportation lines. It is certain that the relations between
the people in the region and with Georgia, Azerbaijan, Russia and
middle Asia will prosper.

Secondly, this line will bring a rapprochement between Turkey,
Georgia and Azerbaijan and their interests will be structurally
similar. With tightening of relations and bridging of the interests
cooperation will be intense and as an outcome of this process first
the economy of these three states then their politics will be closer
as we see in the process of the European Union. Thus, in the middle
of a region whose name seems to be equal to instability there will
be an island of political and economical stability. Hopefully, this
island will expand through the other states in the region.

Another advantage of the line is to increase the capacity of
the land routes which is highly sensitive to the local security
problems. With more security the cost of transportation in the region
will dramatically decreased.

Fourth contribution of the line is directly connecting the homeland
Azerbaijan to its far West province Nahcivan. As we know there is
Armenia between homeland Azerbaijan and Nahcivan, and Armenians do
not allow transition of people through their lands. Airlines are
highly expensive compared with the railroads. There were problems
of security, high costs of money and time about using Georgia lands
for transit passage. The railroads will make vital contributions on
the solution of all these problems. Thus, Azerbaijan will develop
faster and connection of Nahcivan and Azerbaijan will bring important
material benefits to Turkey too.

Another benefit is having an incessant railroad from London
to China. As we know the construction of a tube line that connect
Istanbul Bosphorus under the sea. Thus, in the near future one will
be able to directly go to the coasts of China from London by just
getting on a train. Thus, Caucasia and Turkey will connect Europe to
Asia with tighter bonds. This is why the countries such as China and
Kazakhstan endorse this project.

Armenia

It was a wish for the Turkish statesmen that at least a small portion
of the line pass through Armenia because Armenia has so many advantages
about both energy and transportation projects. However, obstinacy of
the country caused her to be by-passed from the project. Erivan tried
to block the projects that she is not included but failed. Armenia
and Armenian Diaspora spent a great deal of effort in order to
create difficulties for the railroad project. Nevertheless, all
these attempts failed. Day by day, Armenia has been isolated in the
region and excluded all these economic cooperation. On contrary to
the expectations Iran and Russia can not stop this isolation. Despite
having borders with Iran, Iran does not have the ability to integrate
Armenia to the rest of the world. Actually, Iran has also so many
problems in integration to the rest of the world. Armenia does
not have borders with Russia, even if she had borders, and Russia
does not have any positive significant effect to development of
the countries that she supports. Russia has a different style in
international politics. Russia made Armenia economically dependent
to her with loans until now. Russia for example has the monopoly of
energy supplies in Armenia. In other words, Armenia pays high costs
for not cooperating with Turkey but only Russia. Staying as an invader
on the Azerbaijani soils and turning 1915 incidents to a major problem
is cornering Armenia. Yerevan does not recognize national borders of
Turkey and tries to harm Turkey’s interests around the world. As a
consequence of these problems, Armenia’s border with Turkey is closed
and of course the one with Azerbaijan. However, if only Armenia could
withdraw from the occupied Azerbaijani territory, recognize Turkish
borders and stop using genocide claims as a weapon against Turkey and
Turkish people, there would be no reason to exclude Armenia from the
regional integration.

Especially, the genocide claims have an emotional aspect for the
Armenians. The 1915 incidents are being kept fresh as it happened
yesterday and the parties that benefit from the genocide (genocide
industry) prevent wounds to heal. Of course Diaspora has a great
contribution on this situation. Since, Diaspora is not affected by
the problems of the region they do not understand the significance
of the problems that Armenia faced and how it troubles Armenia to
raise the tension.

There is an open government in Turkey that even can debate the genocide
claims. Moreover, there is not a solid hatred among Turkish people
against Armenia. Turkey is ready to speak any issue. Turkey is ready
to cooperate on every issue with Armenia. However, if one wants to
cooperate with his/her neighbor, he/she should show respect to the
neighbor’s home.