ANY SOLUTION TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH MUST RESPECT AZERBAIJAN’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY – TURKISH PRIME MINISTER
Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
March 12 2007
Azerbaijan , Baku /corr Trend A. Gasimova / Trend’s exclusive interview
with Turkish Prime Minister Rejep Tayyib Erdogan
Question: How does Ankara estimate further changes in the apportionment
of Forces in South Caucasus amid the implementation of energy and
Transport projects, further strengthening Azerbaijan’s position? What
joint efforts can be made by two countries to intensify Azerbaijan’s
dominating role in the region?
Answer: Turkey and Azerbaijan enjoy excellent relations. Since
Azerbaijan’s independence, Turkey has displayed solidarity with
Azerbaijan and will continue its endeavors in this perspective. The
close relations that so happily exist between our two countries will
be further reinforced by economic and trade partnerships.
Regional co-operation schemes are undoubtedly pivotal in order to
improve the regional climate amongst the countries in the South
Caucasus. Against this backdrop, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia
have covered significant ground in advancing their trilateral
co-operation, by accomplishing Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline projects and advancing the
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad project. More of such projects, including
rehabilitation of highways and modernization of border check points
are under consideration.
Needless to say, these bilateral and regional cooperation schemes
which we have long been designing and successfully implementing with
Azerbaijan will not only strengthen to the economic and political role
of Turkey and Azerbaijan, but also will assist the efforts directed
to create a more favourable environment for ensuring peace, security
and prosperity in our region.
Question: Armenia and different pro-Armenian factions are constantly
aiming to taint the history of the Turkish people and raising the
issue of the so-called "Armenian Genocide" of 1915. Simultaneously,
the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan continues and Azerbaijan’s
territory is under Armenian occupation. What measure does Turkey
intend to take to refute the Armenian propaganda.
Answer: The Armenian circles have significantly increased their
activities so as to have their baseless claims regarding the events
of 1915 recognized by the national parliaments of the third countries.
We are of the opinion that history should be left to the judgments
of historians. In this context, I would like to mention that the
documents in the Ottoman archives including the military ones are the
primary source for the research of the historians and have been open
for all researchers for a long time.
In 2005, Turkey proposed to Armenia the establishment of a joint
commission composed of Turkish and Armenian historians and other
experts to study the developments and events of 1915, in the archives
of Turkey and Armenia and all other relevant archives in the third
countries and to share their findings with the international community.
We have not received any positive reply from the Armenian side to
our proposal, yet.
We expect the support of the friendly countries to this historical
proposal.
Question: What further assistance is the Turkish Government prepared
to offer in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?
Answer: Turkey believes that "frozen conflicts" in the South Caucasus
undermine the efforts that are geared towards lasting peace and
stability in the region. Resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied Azerbaijani
territories are long overdue. It certainly is needless to emphasize
that any solution in this vein must respect Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity. Return of the internally displaced persons is a pressing
humanitarian issue, requiring our constant attention, and thus should
also be urgently addressed.
Last year was viewed by the international community, including my
country, as a window of opportunity in the resolution process.
However, we regret to note that the efforts so far exerted have
failed to yield a meaningful breakthrough that is acceptable to both
sides. The international community, therefore, should urge Armenia to
adopt forthcoming and constructive policies towards its neighbours,
fully adhering to international law. Turkey, for its part, will
sustain its efforts to facilitate a solution based on a compromise,
and in any case acceptable for Azerbaijan.
Question: Several monuments have been built in Azerbaijan in the memory
of Turkish soldiers who died for the independence of Azerbaijan. How
do you feel about commemorating the Azerbaijani volunteers who died
in the battle for Chanaggala?
Answer: Our ties of kinship with Azerbaijan are exceptionally strong.
We share the same language, same religion and enjoy common cultural
and historical bonds. The sacrifices of the Azerbaijani volunteers
who died during the battle of Canakkale should come as no surprise for
those who can appreciate the sentiments surrounding the relationship
between our peoples.
In this respect, we consider the Azerbaijani martyrs no different than
hundreds of thousands of Turkish men and women who have lost their
lives while defending their homeland. They found their eternal resting
place in Canakkale War Cemetery and in our hearts as the soldiers of
the Caucasian Islamic Army, who were martyred in 1918 in Azerbaijan
Question: Is the Turkish Government satisfied with current amount of
goods turnover between the two countries? How it could be boosted?
Answer: The Bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Azerbaijan has
been growing steadily at an average rate of about %40 since 2003,
reaching 1,025 billion Dollars in 2006. The increase in Turkey’s
imports of oil and its by-products, as well as other intermediate
goods from Azerbaijan, played an important role in increasing the
bilateral trade volume.
In spite of the fast growing pace of trade between Turkey and
Azerbaijan, the level of bilateral trade is far from reflecting the
true economic potential between the two countries.
I believe that Turkey will become the first trading partner of
Azerbaijan within a few years. For this, further diversification
of the products which are subject to trade, gradual liberalization
of bilateral trade, improving the transport infrastructure and
simplification of custom procedures are the necessary steps.
The Turkish-Azerbaijani Joint Economic Council, which is an important
mechanism contributing to the development of our bilateral economic
relations held its 4th session in Baku in July 2006.
The meeting produced an opportunity to adopt decisions that will
enable the increase of the trade turnover.
We should intensify our joint efforts for increasing the volume of
bilateral trade between our countries.
Question: Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia have been successfully
cooperating over three huge regional projects – BTC, BTE and BTK.
What additional efforts could these countries take for cooperation and
implementation of the new projects? In what major directions should
these countries unite efforts for more efficient use of these serious
arguments in international policy?
Answer: The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline, being among the most
important regional projects carried out by our countries, are success
stories.
However, we should not stop here. Recent developments in the energy
sector have once again demonstrated the importance of diversification
of supply sources and routes. In this context, the contributions that
Turkey and Azerbaijan could make for the global and regional energy
supply security became more visible.
Following the recent developments, the Trans Caspian Natural Gas
Project has gained importance and urgency. Together with Azerbaijan,
we should strive for the realization of this project. This project
which foresees the transportation of Turkmen and Kazakh gas to western
markets will strengthen the roles of Turkey and Azerbaijan in the
enhancement of energy supply security. Only after the realization of
this project, the East-West Energy Corridor will have been completed.
On the other hand, The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars New Railway Connection (BTE)
Project, together with the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum
energy pipeline projects are important not only for economic reasons
but also because they constitute a cultural bridge between Asia
and Europe.
The signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement between
Turkey-Azerbaijan-Georgia on 7 February 2007 in Tbilisi was
an important step towards realizing this important project. The
foundations of the new railway line will be laid as early as summer
of this year.
Realization of these significant projects will promote prosperity and
thus contribute to stability in the whole of the region. Therefore,
we should increase our efforts to convey this message to the world
opinion.
Question: Does Turkey plan to increase investing in the development
of non-oil sector of Azerbaijan and what areas are of your country’s
interest?
Answer: Since the early days of its independence, Turkish entrepreneurs
have been active in Azerbaijan, establishing firms in various economic
sectors and thus, contributing to the establishment of a competitive
free market economy in Azerbaijan.
Today, the total value of Turkish investments in various sectors
of Azerbaijan, excluding the petroleum sector, is estimated to be
as high as 2.5 billion Dollars, making Turkey, with a 45% share,
the most important foreign investor in that sector.
Our mutual aim is to increase the amount of direct investments of large
scale Turkish companies in Azerbaijan. Reforms undertaken successfully
towards improving the foreign investment climate in Azerbaijan will
surely accelerate this process.
Turkish companies can play a vital role in diversifying Azerbaijan’s
economy, notably by investing in the agricultural and food processing
sectors. Turkish companies can also contribute to the modernization
of industrial facilities of Azerbaijan that were built during the
Soviet era.
In this context, intensified dialogue between the business communities
of the two countries will be instrumental in developing mutual
investments. In this regard, Turkish-Azerbaijan Business Council is
an important mechanism that should be rendered even more active.
I am convinced that both Turkish investments in Azerbaijan and Azeri
investments in Turkey can be considerably increased in the near future,
given that we provide the private sector necessary incentives, as
well as, a convenient investment climate to operate in.