ISMAIL SAFI: IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL OF THEIR ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL COOPERATION, TURKEY AND ARMENIA SHOULD SOLVE THEIR DIPLOMATIC AND POLITICAL PROBLEMS
Interview with Ismail Safi, Turkish parliamentarian from the ruling
Justice and Development Party, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee
of the Turkish Parliament
by Ashot Safaryan
Tuesday, February 12, 14:40
The Zurich protocols on establishment of diplomatic relations between
Armenia and Turkey have actually remained ink on paper, and the mutual
non-confidence between the parties has become even deeper. What ways
of rehabilitation do you see for the process launched 4 years ago?
Turkey has to enhance its relations with all its neighbors on the
basis of mutual respect and good neighborhood relations. The Zurich
Protocols are the first step of the normalization of the relations
with Armenia which we interpret is a long process and the Protocols
were signed with the reflection of this understanding and vision. We,
as Turkey, are continuing to act within the framework of the Zurich
Protocols. The Protocols continue to be on the agenda of the Grand
National Assembly of Turkey. What we desire is to ensure a full
and comprehensive normalization within the region. In case the
normalization does not happen, efforts with good intention towards a
single track normalization will also not be permanent and sustainable.
We are determined to continue the normalization process between
Turkey and Armenia. Besides, the continuation of this process,
no doubt, depends on Armenia’s will to solve its problems with
all its neighbours, exhibit constructive behavior on this issue
and compatibility of the politics Armenia followed with the good
neighborhood relations.
Murders of the citizens of Armenian ethnicity have recently grown in
number in Istanbul. Can one consider these cases to be the evidence of
growing xenophobia and religious animosity in the Turkish society? Are
these incidents accidental or are certain forces behind them?
In November, December and January four incidents happened to our
citizens in Samatya Region of Ä°stanbul. The houses of four old
women who lived alone in the district were entered for the stealing
purposes. Three of these women are Turkish citizens with Armenian
ethnicity. The events happened for stealing purposes and jewelry
like earrings, necklace, bracelet are stolen from our citizens’ homes
.In one of these stealing actions, an 84 year old Armenian woman was
killed. We feel regret for these events and the purpose of these events
are not ethnical, political or religious but are completely stealing.
Armenia and Turkey are BSEC member states. How much does this platform
contribute to development of trade and economic relations between
the two countries and what new practices can be expected within
this structure?
Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC)
has an important mission in the region especially in economic and
commercial fields. The PABSEC membership of Turkey and Armenia is very
important with regards to create an economic and commercial cooperation
circumstance. However I want to remind that, in order to evaluate the
potential of regional economic and commercial activities and to carry
them a step further, consistent, comprehensive and sustainable peace,
stability and welfare circumstance should be established, diplomatic
and political problems should be solved.
The conflict in Syria is escalating with every passing day, and
official Ankara is seriously concerned with these developments, which
is proved by deployment of Patriot missile systems on the border with
Syria. What threats does Turkey see in the further escalation of the
crisis, and what role does the Kurdish factor play here?
Turkey’s deployment of Patriot missile defense system on the border
with Syria is a resolution taken by NATO because of threats and
risks constituted to Turkey’s national security by the increasingly
violence events in Syria. Because of this, there wasn’t any ethnical
group effect in Syria while giving this resolution.
Turkey does not conceal its attempts to speed up its role in the
Karabakh peace process. What new approaches can Ankara offer given
its repeated statements in favor of Azerbaijan?
Turkey stays in the negotiation process regarding Karabakh problem
because of being a neighbor country to the region and a member of OSCE
Minsk Group. Turkey, continues its intensive contacts in this field
and makes an effort to find a peaceful solution in the framework of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.
Our President, met with President of Azerbaijan Mr. Aliyev, President
of Kazakhstan Mr. Nazarbayev and Prime Minister of Russian Federation
(at that time) Mr. Putin during “Conference of Cooperation and Security
Building Measures in Asia (CICA)” Summit in Ä°stanbul between June 7-8,
2010. He shared “Caucasia Development Fund “with them and they welcomed
the offer. In this respect, to ensure a full normalization in South
Caucasia and to reach a solution in the Armenia-Azarbaijan-Nagorno
conflict “Regional Integrated Transportation Corridors Project”
was developed as a “peace project”.
Our new projects and proposals regarding establishment of regional
cooperation understanding and solving the Karabakh problem will also
continue next term.
Many analysts, including Turkish ones, agree that before the
2014 presidential election in Turkey Prime Minister Erdogan is
going to amend the Turkish Constitution and considerably enlarge
the presidential powers, and afterwards – to win the presidential
election. How probable is this scenario and what geopolitical vector
of development President Erdogan’s Turkey will choose?
Especially in the last 6 years, Turkey has performed new important
openings in its foreign policy. Turkey moved from focusing existing
problems in its foreign policy understanding to progressive, active,
going beyond the ordinary, overcoming the problems in its foreign
policy understanding. Turkey has become a country that does not always
think there are enemies around but creates friends; it has become a
country which is looking for solutions to the problems that cannot be
solved for years. We will continue to cooperate with our neighbors
and contribute to peace in all aspects along with the same foreign
policy principles after our Prime Minister’s election as President.
How successful do you think Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s
formula “zero problems with neighbors” is? Has this formula passed
its examination amid aggravation of the situation in the Middle East
over the past two years?
Turkey has experienced a big transformation especially in the last
decade. In this period especially in foreign policy we did our best
to implement our minister Davutoglu’s “zero problem with neighbors”
principle. This policy will be continued. For instance; by the
beginning of Arab Spring we approached Syria diplomatically for nine
months. There is a community demanding democratic change in Syria.
Today approximately 60.000 people died because of the bloody events
happened in Syria. Our “zero problem” principle still continues in
our relations with Syria, but we stand near our Syrian brothers who
fought there for their rights, dismissed from their country and come
to our country as refugees.
From: A. Papazian