Armenia:Turkey Protocols - from the Azeri Press‏

Yeni Azarbaycan, Azerbaijan

Sept 4 2009

Azeri politicians rap Turkish-Armenian rapprochement ahead of Karabakh

solution



Azerbaijani politicians believe that the protocols signed recently on

establishing Turkish-Armenian ties and opening the border between the

two countries will harm Azerbaijan's interests and ties with Turkey.



In an interview with the ruling New Azerbaijan Party's (NAP) Yeni

Azarbaycan newspaper, NAP deputy executive secretary and MP Mubariz

Qurbanli said: "Azerbaijan does not regard acceptable the

establishment of ties between Turkey and Armenia until the Nagornyy

Karabakh problem is resolved".



Qurbanli said that rapprochement with Armenia before the settlement of

the problem was against Turkey's and Azerbaijan's interests. He said

that Turkey wanted to achieve peace and stability in the region by

taking that step. "However, history shows that one should not trust

the Armenians," he added.



In an interview with the Azadliq newspaper, the leader of the

opposition Liberal Party of Azerbaijan, Lala Sovkat Haciyeva, urged

President Ilham Aliyev to express his position on the ongoing

developments.



"It is very likely there have been some consultations [with the

Azerbaijani president] on this issue. However, the head of Azerbaijan

should express his opinion on the developments," Haciyeva said.



The politician noted that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan

said in the Azerbaijani parliament in May 2009 that the borders would

open after the Karabakh settlement.



"In any case, I want to believe that Erdogan will be loyal to his

word. Otherwise, this will be a great blow to Azerbaijan's national

interests and will seriously harm ties between the two fraternal

countries," Haciyeva said.



In a comment on the developments, the opposition Yeni Musavat

newspaper quoted unnamed observers as saying that Baku's reaction was

rather soft now unlike its reaction to the agreement on a road map

signed between Turkey and Armenia this April.



"This gives rise to the opinion that Baku has blessed the

Armenian-Turkish agreement... Although the agreement was made public

later, Turkey informed Baku about it last week. It seems that the

Turkish authorities convinced Baku this time as well that the opening

of the border with Armenia will depend on the Karabakh issue," Yeni

Musavat said.



The paper added that although the protocols to be signed with Armenia

did not contain any preconditions on Karabakh, Turkey hinted that by

delaying the ratification of those documents in parliament, it had a

chance to make their implementation dependent on the resolution of the

Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.



Speaking about the impact of the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement on

major economic projects in an interview to the independent Ekspress

newspaper, economic expert Sabit Bagirov said that if the protocols

envisaging the resumption of Turkish-Armenian ties were ratified at

the level of parliaments, the EU might demand that technical changes

be made to the Nabucco gas pipeline and that it pass not via Georgia,

but Armenia. He said that this was a political issue.



"First, I do not believe that the Turkish parliament will take such a

decision. Second, this is an unrealistic idea and I do not believe

that it will materialize, because the Azerbaijani authorities have

repeatedly stated that Azerbaijan will not transport its hydrocarbons

via Armenia until the occupied territories are liberated and the

Karabakh problem is resolved," Bagirov said.



Ekspress said that the Nabucco pipeline company, which will construct

the pipeline, also did not rule out Armenia's participation in the

project.



"We have stated repeatedly that this project is open to any state

wishing to join it. If this is the case, then Armenia or another

country which might be considered as an effective option to increase

the pipeline's profitability can join the project," Ekspress quoted an

unnamed source at the company as saying.

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT TURKEY KEEPS ITS PROMISE: 

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL



Today.Az

Sept 3 2009

Azerbaijan



Azerbaijan hopes that in talks with Armenia Turkey will not take

steps contradicting Azerbaijan's national interests, Azerbaijani

Presidential Administration International Relations Department Chief

Novruz Mammadov said.



He said it is possible to achieve progress in resolution of the

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict before the Turkey-Armenia border is reopened.



"Baku keeps close eye on ongoing processes between Turkey and Armenia

and hopes that Ankara would not take steps contrary to national

interests of Azerbaijan."



Mammadov recalling the statement Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan made

during his visit to Baku in May noted that Ankara has expressed its

position clearly: borders with Armenia will not reopen without a

progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.



"In the ongoing negotiations the Turkish side has shown strong,

specific and harsh stance. The documents were signed because Armenia

armed forces have occupied Azerbaijani lands. Borders will reopen

only after the conflict is resolved. Whatever statements Armenian

leadership makes, the whole world knows that the borders are closed

because of the Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani lands."



Novruzov said Baku was aware of beginning of discussion between Turkey

and Armenia. "This issue was discussed last week during a telephone

conversation between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President

Ilham Aliyev and Azerbaijan has once again stated its position."



"We state only that reopening of the Armenia-Turkey border is contrary

to Azerbaijan's interests. Turkey's interests are close to the national

interests of Azerbaijan," he said.



Mammadov also expressed his attitude to statements that beginning

of negotiations between Turkey and Armenia and the resolution of the

Nagorno Karabakh conflict are parallel processes.



"It depends on the negotiation and on conditions made in the

negotiations. I believe before the reopening of borders progress and

a certain agreement can be achieved a in conflict resolution. The

bottom line is that opening of borders does not contradict interests

of Azerbaijan and that progress will be reached in resolution of

the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is essential that the Turkish side

keeps its promise," Mammadov added.

ESTABLISHING TURKEY-ARMENIA TIES UNACCEPTABLE UNTIL 
NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT IS RESOLVED: AZERBAIJANI 
GOVERNING PARTY

Today.Az

Sept 3 2009

Azerbaijan



The governing New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) says establishing

Turkey-Armenian relations is unacceptable until the Nagorno-Karabakh

conflict is resolved.



"Azerbaijan and Turkey are strategic allies and our relations

rely on the principle of "one nation - two states". There are many

ties connecting our countries. Therefore, the talks held to reopen

Turkey-Armenia borders and to resume diplomatic ties stirs up anxiety

in the Azerbaijani public", the NAP senior official Mubariz Gurbanli

said in an interview with party's official Web site.



On Aug. 31, Turkey and Armenia in the talks mediated by Switzerland

reached an agreement to launch "internal political consultations"

to sign the Protocol on Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and

Protocol on Development of Bilateral Relations.



Political consultations will be completed within six weeks, and

following that two protocols will be signed and submitted to the two

countries' parliaments for approval.



Currently, Turkey does not plan to open borders with neighboring

Armenia, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davudoglu said.



Armenian-Turkish ties have been severed since 1993.

 
Interfax, Russia

Sept 4 2009

Azerbaijan Army ready to free occupied land - Defense Ministry

BAKU Sept 4



The Azerbaijani Army is ready to free the occupied territories if the

negotiations on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict fail,

said Azeri Defense Ministry spokesman Eldar Sabiroglu.



"We are hoping for results while the political negotiations

continue. Otherwise our army will fulfill its function [to free the

land] at a moment when our state founds it necessary," Sabiroglu told

a press conference in Baku on Friday.



"No one should doubt that," he said, adding that he is not saying

these words for the sake of propaganda. "I am saying this taking into

account the equipment of our military units with modern types of

weapons and the high level of our troops' combat preparedness," he

said.



The Defense Ministry official reiterated that the Azerbaijani Army

will continue to be strengthened.

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