Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
Jan 11 2008
THE REBIRTH OF PAN-TURKISM?
By John C. K. Daly
Friday, January 11, 2008
As the USSR recedes further into history, the post-Soviet Turkic
nations of the Caucasus and Central Asia are rediscovering their
linguistic and cultural affinities with Turkey, and activists are
promoting closer cultural, economic, and political ties.
Among the states of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan,
and Turkmenistan, the pan-Turkic sentiment is most pronounced in
Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s most ardent support of closer Turkic ties is
Nizami Jafarov, director of Baku’s Ataturk Center, a corresponding
member of Azerbaijan’s Academy of Science, and head of the
Azerbaijani Permanent Parliamentary Commission on the Culture of the
Republic of Azerbaijan.
Jafarov’s latest project is setting up a new Turkish language TV
channel in Azerbaijan to broadcast to the Turkish-speaking world and
foster further integration in the Turkic world. `It is possible to
say that this idea has become a reality,’ Jafarov said during a
recent interview. `The issues of the opportunities, main topics, and
language of this TV channel have been defined after long discussions.
No one is against the creation of such a channel.’ According to
Jafarov, the only thing currently lacking is money. ` The issue will
be fully elaborated after one of the Turkic countries or any
international company undertakes the financing of the TV channel,’
but he added optimistically, `I think the issue of the channel
opening will be settled this year’ (Trend.az, January 10).
Jafarov is also chairman of the Turkish-Azerbaijani Parliamentary
Friendship Group, which has been promoting the idea of closer
Turkish-Azeri relations for some time. In 2006 Jafarov maintained,
the idea of a Parliamentary Assembly of Turkish States began to gain
serious traction, commenting, "Azerbaijan’s suggestion of
establishing a Parliamentary Assembly of Turkish States has been
approved by all. The format of the Assembly is to be discussed.
Creation of this assembly is inevitable. The ongoing processes in the
world make it necessary to set up an organization of Turkish states
at least on parliament level’ (Today.az, February 28, 2006). As
envisaged, the Turkish States’ Parliamentary Assembly would consist
of delegates from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan,
Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan.
An important element of Jafarov’s plan was Armenia’s reaction to such
an assembly. The following month Jafarov said, "The Armenian media
writes that Turk nations will create a Turanian State and claims that
and this state will be against Armenians… The establishment of such
an assembly is important for the maintenance of harmony in the world
and is not in contradiction with the norms and principles of
international law. On the other hand, Armenians are far fewer in
number than Turks. There are 100 million Turks in the world and only
about 10 million Armenians. Despite this we will discuss the
`Armenian issue’ after the formation of the Assembly" (Today.az,
March 27, 2006).
On the Turkish side, a non-governmental organization, the
Turkish-Speaking States’ and Communities’ Friendship, Fraternity, and
Cooperation Foundation (TUDEV) and the annual Friendship,
Brotherhood, and Cooperation Congress of the Turkic States and
Communities have played a major part in promoting the concept.
The First Friendship, Brotherhood, and Cooperation Congress of the
Turkic States and Communities took place on March 21, 1993, in
Antalya, and the next nine congresses were subsequently held in
Turkey, attracting more delegates each year (Busra Ersanli Behar,
`Turkism in Turkey and Azerbaijan in the 1990s,’ Eurasian Studies
1996). Over 900 delegates attended the 8th annual TUDEV meeting,
March 24-26, 2000; and 500 were from Anatolia. Then-Turkish president
Suleyman Demirel was present along with Deputy Prime Minister and
Chairman of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli, seven
other Ministers, and almost 50 deputies. For the first time
representatives of the Turks in Tunisia and Mongolia also attended
(Anadolu Ajansi, March 23, 2000).
Last November Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, along with
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Mehmet Ali Telet,
attended the 11th Friendship, Brotherhood, and Cooperation Congress
of the Turkic States and Communities in Baku. The previous ten
congresses were held in Turkey, with the last occurring in Antalya on
September 18-20, 2006. At the Antalya conference Turkish authorities
first suggested a political alliance of this kind, with an
international Turkic union subsequently becoming Erdogan’s idee fixe,
(Nezavisimaya gazeta, November 26, 2006).
Also present at the gathering were nearly 800 delegates from over 30
countries. Both Erdogan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev
addressed the Congress. In his most implicit endorsement of closer
cooperation between Turkic nations, Erdogan told the delegates, `It
is time for establishing planned and coordinated cooperation among
Turkic republics,’ suggesting the founding of a permanent secretariat
of the heads of Turkish-speaking states. `This Permanent Secretariat
will keep an eye on what we have done, what we are doing, and what we
will do, and prepare us for the next Congress. On the other hand, we
should start working on establishing the Inter-Parliamentary Council
and Advisory Council, which honorable Nursultan Nazarbayev, the
President of Kazakhstan, discussed with the leaders at the
Turkish-speaking states summit in Antalya. (Azerbaycan Respublikasi
Istanbul Bas Konsullugu, November 17, 2007).
For Jafarov, the issue already has an irresistible momentum of its
own, and `in the next decade the process of transforming the Turkish
language into the united language of the Turkish peoples will be
completed’ (Trend, January 10).
But the concept has already brushed up against political reality,
with both Turkey and Azerbaijan claiming credit for the concept and
eventual leadership of the organization. For the Azeris, the recent
Congress solidified Azerbaijan’s leadership. According to Nazim
Ibrahimov, head of the State Committee on Work with Azerbaijanis
Living Abroad, `This congress, which was held on the initiative of
President Ilham Aliyev, brought new tone to the Turkish world. In the
worldwide Turkish diaspora all Turks are speaking about the congress
in Baku. They consider the Azerbaijani President as a new leader of
Turkish world’ (APA, December 30).
While Azerbaijan’s immense oil wealth gives it a rising presence in
the Turkic world, it remains to be seen if that will translate into
substantial political power in the Inter-Parliamentary Council and
Advisory Council, proposed by Turkey, and whether the heads of the
five former Soviet Turkic states will, in fact, be ready to surrender
any national sovereignty to such a body. If Azerbaijan and Turkey
cannot even agree regarding who provided the impetus for the idea,
further integration of the Turkish-speaking world still seems a
distant goal.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
