AZERBAIJAN GOT SERIOUSLY ANGRY WITH ITS "ELDER BROTHER"

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.04.2009 20:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It seems that Azerbaijan got seriously angry with
its "elder brother": high- and low-level Azerbaijani officials,
political scientists and public figures accused Turkey of selling
them and called the attempts to improve relations with Armenia a
"stab in the back", Karabakh political observer Norayr Hovsepyan told
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Baku’s anxiety is obvious: the artificial Azerbaijani-Turkish concept
of "one nation – two states" and the expediency of the lasting
policy of transport and communication blockade against Armenia
and NKR are simultaneously put into question, the significance of
Azerbaijani-Turkish political and economic projects is diminished, etc.

Baku’s response to new regional challenges is full of elements of
terrorism, extremism, cynicism and jealousy. A conspicuous example
of this was the Azerbaijani President’s refusal to participate in
the United Nations "Alliance of Civilizations" forum in Turkey’s
Istanbul in response to statements about possible reopening of
the Turkish-Armenian border. Moreover, it was backed by a number of
threats, and in particular the termination of transporting Azerbaijani
gas to Turkey.

Responding so painfully to the seeming thaw in the Turkish-Armenian
relations and expressing readiness to apply sanctions against its
strategic partner and "elder brother", Azerbaijan, to put it mildly,
casts serious doubts on its own reliability as an economic partner
and a political ally. But if the anti-Turkish propaganda unleashed
recently in Azerbaijan is merely an episode of a Turkish-Azerbaijani
scenario, then credit should be given to Baku which brilliantly played
its role, although the show in general being deprived of diplomatic
extravagances proved to be unconvincing. Unlike Europe and Russia
such an impression was created at least in Nagorno Karabakh.

Is it worth then to talk about the vitality of the Platform of
Stability and Security in the South Caucasus proposed by Turkey hot
on the heels of the war in South Ossetia? Surely not, as according
to Baku’s logic this initiative which pursued purely propagandistic
objectives was also discredited by its author.

Baku always tried to use the existing international situation for
resolving the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in its favour, constantly
tossing about between Russia and the West and resorting either
to "oil" or "gas" diplomacy, in other words to speculations and
imitations and frequently to open blackmail and threatening. However,
it is obvious that such an incidental diplomacy, and especially the
intimidating attempts, cannot lead to resolving the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. Ignoring the realities and passing the desirable for reality,
the Azerbaijani authorities consistently continue their anti-Armenian
policy first of all keeping in delusion their own society.

Surely, Azerbaijan will not dare turn its back to Turkey; it simply
does not have the guts to do it. The online campaign initiated along
the reproaches, through which participants tearfully ask Turkey "not
to leave Azerbaijan one-on-one with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict",
testifies to it.

In reality Turkey has a special influence on Azerbaijan, and it
can play an important role in resolving the conflict if it displays
constructivism and convinces Azerbaijan to give up its groundless
claims for Nagorno Karabakh.