MUTUAL DEFENCE ‘MORAL DUTY’ FOR AZERBAIJAN AND TURKEY

news.az
April 29 2010
Azerbaijan

Novruz Mammadov 1news.az interviews Novruz Mammadov, head of the
international relations department at the Presidential Administration
of Azerbaijan.

The Turkish press have published many articles about the current state
of relations between Turkey and Armenia and Azerbaijan’s role in this.

Most articles see the restoration of relations with Armenia as
essential for the expansion of Turkey’s foreign policy and a serious
test for Turkey on the path to democracy, while Azerbaijan is accused
of getting in the way. What can you as an official of the presidential
administration say about these articles?

I am familiar with most of these articles and some of them even say
that Azerbaijan ‘is holding Turkey’s foreign policy hostage’. But I
think these articles, most of which are written on the basis of claims
voiced by Armenia, are untrue. The main issue hampering relations
between Turkey and Armenia lies in Armenia’s campaign abroad on
recognition of the ‘genocide’ in cooperation with the Armenian diaspora
and the open statement that does not recognize Turkish borders. Another
factor in these relations are the borders with Armenia that have been
closed since 1993 as a sign of protest at the occupation of Karabakh
and adjacent Azerbaijani land. European and American officials, who
determine their own positions on Armenia under the influence of the
Armenian lobby, have has been trying to improve Armenia’s situation
despite the country’s aggressive policy. America recently voiced
its intention to turn a blind eye to the Armenian occupation of
Azerbaijani land and is putting pressure on Turkey in an attempt to
make it open the borders with Armenia without any preconditions. The
main arguments put forward to force Turkey and Azerbaijan to accept
this plan, which favours only Armenia, are as follows:

first, Turkish-Armenian relations have nothing to do with Karabakh,
which is why these two issues must be settled separately; second, the
opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia neutralizes the issue of
the Armenian ‘genocide’ which is discussed in America every year and
causes a real headache for Turkey; third, both Turkey and Azerbaijan
are interested in opening borders as it will help soften Armenia’s
policy and thus contribute to the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

The mutual protection of interests by Turkey and Azerbaijan as one
nation in two states is their elementary moral duty. Whoever expects
Turkey to be tolerant about the occupation of Karabakh ignores the
fact that Armenian soldiers, judging from their own confessions, used
violence only with the intention of settling scores with Turks and
that over a million people lost their homes as a result of Armenian
aggression.

In this case, isn’t it natural for our fellow Azerbaijanis who were
subjected to ethnic cleansing to expect support from Turkey?

Yes, this is quite natural. You know, the US officials working on
bills on recognition of the ‘genocide’ to please their country’s
Armenian minority, which makes up less than 1% of the population,
and putting pressure on foreign countries should understand Turkey’s
sympathy for the sorrow of their fraternal country – Azerbaijan.

Beyond these frameworks, the opening of borders with Armenia cannot be
considered a convincing argument to neutralize the issue of ‘genocide’
and save Turkey from future problems. The Armenian diaspora views the
‘genocide’ issue as the source of life and turns this issue into a
political instrument in any country where it is present. Officials in
Armenia also call recognition of the ‘genocide’ a national struggle
and do not intend to give up on this. The issue of ‘genocide’ has
always been used as a political tool, both in America’s domestic
policy and its relations with Turkey. It is not logical that people
who use this trump card to put pressure on Turkey should say that
the ‘genocide’ issue will be off the agenda once the process of
normalization is complete. The real issue to pondered is what will
happen after recognition of the claims of ‘genocide’, as we know
that the other two pillars of the Armenian struggle lie are claims
for material compensation and land.

This must be news to the authors of articles about the potential
positive influence of the opening of the border on the resolution of
the Karabakh conflict, or about how Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan
on Karabakh promotes an irreconcilable position.

This is probably how it is. But the truth and the reality is that
20% of Azerbaijani land has occupied by aggressor Armenia for 18
years already and over a million people have become refugees. Though
Azerbaijan conducts intensive talks with Armenia within the framework
of the Minsk Group in order to settle the issue peacefully, the
non-constructive position of the enemy hampers any positive result.

Armenia’s policy of no compromise shows its intention to continue
this aggression. It’s not possible for Azerbaijan to compromise by
being reconciled to the occupation. One of the main factors able to
force Armenia to take a step towards a peace settlement is the closed
borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan. If these borders open without a
step by Armenia, this will cause serious damage both to Azerbaijan
and to the chances of a peace settlement.

And finally, are statements about a lack of support for Turkey from
Azerbaijan fair?

I do not think these statements or claims are fair or true. Azerbaijan
was not at Turkey’s side at the summit on nuclear security because
our country was not invited to the summit which was interpreted in
the press as the latest sign of US attempts to drive Azerbaijan out
of the talks between Armenia and Turkey. Turkey and Azerbaijan are
a single state on the issue of the so-called ‘genocide’ and on other
issues too. The state officials and diplomats of Azerbaijan, led by
President Ilham Aliyev, perceive the protection of Turkish interests
at all open and closed forums, beginning with EU membership, as their
duty. The Azerbaijani community was first to react to the appeal on
recognition of the ‘genocide’ in the Georgian parliament. Azerbaijan
has always accepted the issue of the ‘genocide’ as its own issue and
our country has made the fight against the use of these claims as a
political tool into a component of its own work abroad.

In some cases Azerbaijan has been more active than Turkey, because
the claims of ‘genocide’ have caused the greatest damage to Azerbaijan.

Armenia, which showed aggression against its neighbouring country
from the first day of its independence, has managed to veil its
aggression and ethnic cleansing under the shield of its own campaign
of ‘genocide’. We are upset at the success of the campaign, even
in Turkey. The relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are based on
historical traditions; they are the relations of one people and, most
important, they are based on mutual interests. Azerbaijan has always
treated Turkey as a fraternal state. In the past 20 years Turkey has
been Azerbaijan’s gateway to the West, while Azerbaijan for Turkey has
been a gateway to Central Asia. Despite intensive pressure, Azerbaijan
has implemented its energy policy with respect to Turkey’s interests
and taken significant steps to transport natural gas and oil to world
markets via Turkey. Turkey, which actively supports Azerbaijan in its
difficult times, is favoured and respected among our people. In other
words, we believe that our relations, based on strong ties between
our peoples, will successfully overcome this difficult test that has
subjected us to great pressure.