INDEPENDENCE OF KOSOVO AND THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE
Hasan Selim Ozertem
Journal of Turkish Weekly
April 24 2008
Turkey
I believe that it would not be wrong to define International
Relations, in a limited sense, as a discipline that tries to depict
the formation of new systems and the elimination of the old ones
systematically. Moreover, it draws a framework for the art of diplomacy
in an interdependent fashion and regional conflicts represent one
of the most interesting parts of this area in this context. Since,
this topic is an interdisciplinary issue and each conflict requires
a sui generis approach.
Formation and dissolution of unions cause instability in terms of
politics, economics and security. In this context, the last decade
of 20th century was really dramatic when we recall the collapse Iron
Curtain, with the fall of Berlin Wall and revolutions in 1989 which
was followed by inevitable dissolution in the Eastern Bloc.
After the elimination of old system, state controlled economies were
forced to transform into market economy which was totally an unknown
issue for those countries. Issues such as democracy, human rights
also have been started to be brought up ever so often.
In such an environment with the disappearance of powerful-authoritarian
state image, which had surpassed ethnic and nationalist movements,
serious problems have started to take place in the Former Yugoslavia
and Former Soviet geography.
In Balkans Serbian nationalism headed by Milosevic caused massacres
firstly in Bosnia and then in Kosovo and initiated a process in which
micro-nationalism deepened.
Clashes between Serbians and Albanians of Kosovo required military
intervention of NATO in 1999 and international community has taken
control in Kosovo, which was once a part of Yugoslavia. Until the
declaration of independence of Kosovo in 2008 a new period in which
formation of new states and change of political structure would
be witnessed has started. Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia and Bosnia
have been already established until 1999 and in 2006 Montenegro
disaffiliated from the federal structure of Serbia-Montenegro. When
Kosovo declared its independence on 17 February 2008, a new state
got participated to this league of newly emerged countries.
In fact, Kosovo had been independent for 8 years in de facto sense,
but the official declaration of this reality has brought many problems.
The essence of the problem was international recognition of a country
based on the right of self determination without the approval of the
state, to which it is constitutionally dependent. This recognition
takes place, in spite of the presence of the statement in the UN
resolution 1244: "Kosovo is a part of Federal Yugoslavia". Basically,
Federal Yugoslavia formed by Serbia and Montenegro and Kosovo has
lost its autonomy after the changes in 1989 done by the government
of Milosevic unilaterally. As a result of these changes Albanians of
Kosovo was pushed out of the institutional structure.
As expected the independence of Kosovo leads to a great unease in the
states that suffer from separatist movements and these movement’s
desire to use the example of Kosovo in favor of their cases gain
basis which can be observed easily.
In this framework, Turkey is located in a region that three main
areas of instability attract attention. These can be indicated as
Cyprus issue, separatist movements in Georgia and Nagorno-Karabakh
issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Nagorno-Karabakh, which Turkey also follows closely, is one of the main
reasons of instability in Caucasus. Roots of the problem go backwards,
but it can be said that this problem aroused as a result of the
glasnost and perestroika policies of Gorbachov in 1980s and Armenian
nationalism has gained ground that triggered an on going conflict for
more than fifteen years. Dissolution of the USSR further promoted the
seriousness of problem, due to vacuum of power in the region. After
the independence of Armenia and Azerbaijan tension between these two
increased step by step and finally it resulted with a war which had
continued up to the ceasefire in 1994 and caused misery and losses
for both of the parties.
All these events in the period of war are subjects of another
article. Here what is wanted to be discussed is whether the
independence of Kosovo constitutes a precedent for Nagorno-Karabakh
or not. In this sense, declarations of the foreign minister of the
separatist region show the expectations of Armenians. The so called
Minister of Foreign Affairs Gregory Petrosyan stated that the example
of Kosovo cut in favor of them and shows that even without the approval
of the main state recognition of a region is possible.
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh attempted to be independent several
times in the past, but these attempts were not taken seriously by
the international community. However, it should be underlined
here that Kosovo and Nagorno-Karabakh have highly distinct
characteristics. Below, I will try to indicate the reasons in
comparative sense.
About the relations of Kosovo and Serbia it can be seen that Serbians
had clearly negative attitude against Albanians of Kosovo and they
are responsible of the death of thousands of Albanians until the
intervention of NATO forces. Prevention of this massacre was by
international community. Another important factor is the presence of
Serbian majority in northern Kosovo; even after all these events and
the declaration of independence.
On the other hand, when we analyze Armenians Karabagh policies, it is
so obvious that Azerbaijanis represent the aggrieved side. During the
war Armenians killed thousands of Azerbaijanis and occupied almost 20%
of Azerbaijan’s territory. After the war nearly 1 million people lost
their homes -these people have become internally displaced people (IDP)
or known as kackinlar in Azeri- and had to live in wagons in really bad
conditions. They cannot use their territory, homes or other belongings
which is entitled to them by law due to Armenian occupation. There
are no such applications in Kosovo. Additionally unlike Kosovo,
in Nagorno-Karabakh occupied territories are under the control of
Armenian soldiers not the international community. This situation has
been condemned many times by international community. Unlike Kosovo,
crimes against humanity were committed against Azerbaijanis not
on the party which declared independence in Nagorno-Karabakh. (It
is not necessary here to discuss details of Hodjali Massacre
of Armenians during the war.) In 1989 legal status of Kosovo was
changed by the majority, but there is no such attempt by Azerbaijanis
in Nagorno-Karabakh. Even Azerbaijan puts expanded autonomy for
Nagorno-Karabakh on the negotiation table. Finally the resolutions
of UN and other international institutions are in favor of Azerbaijan.
In this context, declarations of international society suggesting that
Kosovo is not a precedent for Nagorno-Karabakh show that the theses
of Armenians are baseless. In the forthcoming period, the support of
international society in prevention of a wrong process to begin in
the Nagorno-Karabakh issue has a vital importance.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
