Author: Kalantarian Kevo

AZERBAIJAN: OMCT JOINS INITIATIVE ASKING SPONSORS OF BAKU 2015 TO RECONSIDER THEIR FINANCIAL ENGAGEMENT IN THE LIGHT OF SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS

World Organization Against Torture
Sept 23 2014

Letter to BP
5 pages / 312 KB

JOINT LETTER TO BP / NAR MOBILE / P&G / TISSOT/ MC DONALD’S AND TICKET HOUR

On behalf of the signatories below, and in the light of the media
news concerning the sponsorship agreement concluded between (BP /
Nar Mobile / P&G / Tissot (part of Swatch Group) / McDonald’s /
TicketHour) and the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan, which
covers both the European Games scheduled for 2015, and the Games
Academy launched in April 2014, we would like to draw your attention
to and express our great concern at the current political situation
in Azerbaijan and your potential contribution and complicity in the
human rights violations taking place in that country.

In line with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,
business enterprises have responsibility to respect human rights,
also in their business relations, which requires them to:

(a) Avoid causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts
through their own activities, and address such impacts when they
occur; and

(b) Seek to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts that
are directly linked to their operations, products or services by
their business relationships, even if they have not contributed to
those impacts.

Enterprises are also required to ‘know and show’ how they meet this
responsibility, and in order to enable this, are expected to have in
place effective policies and processes appropriate to their size and
circumstances, including processes to enable the remediation of any
adverse human rights impacts they cause or to which they contribute.

We understand (BP / Nar Mobile / P&G / Tissot (part of Swatch Group) /
McDonald’s / TicketHour) is engaged in the country both economically
and culturally, and probably perceives its sponsorship agreement as
element of its corporate social responsibility dimension. However,
given the potential negative human rights impacts that such financial
involvement (sponsorship) might have on the local community and human
rights defenders in Azerbaijan, we would like to query whether (BP
/ Nar Mobile / P&G / Tissot (part of Swatch Group) / McDonald’s /
TicketHour) has conducted a rigorous human rights due diligence
process, including a thorough human rights impact assessment of
its financial involvement with the Games organization (including
construction of new sport and related facilities and infrastructure),
before it entered into sponsorship agreement. In particular we would
like to query whether (BP / Nar Mobile / P&G / Tissot (part of Swatch
Group) / McDonald’s / TicketHour):

took into consideration the political situation in the country,
particularly the long- lasting repression of civil society in the
country and the wave of arrest of human rights defenders in July and
August 2014?

analysed the impact of development of sports infrastructure on local
communities, particularly bearing in mind the unlawful evictions in
various Baku districts that have preceded this event e.g. for the
Eurovision contest?

required the Games organizer to conduct and disclose the results
of the human rights and environmental impact assessment of the new
building/infrastructure projects?

required inclusion of a human rights clause that would enable (BP
/ Nar Mobile / P&G / Tissot (part of Swatch Group) / McDonald’s /
TicketHour) to terminate the sponsorship agreement if the organization
of the Games gave rise to increased human rights violations?

has in place adequate policies, processes and grievance mechanisms
to enable those negatively affected by the Games, an organization
of which it is financially involved, to seek effective remedy and
justice in case adverse on human rights impacts and occur?

We believe that a global company like (BP / Nar Mobile / P&G / Tissot
(part of Swatch Group) / McDonald’s / TicketHour) has the potential
not only to impact great numbers of people around the world, but also
to exert important leverage over its business partners. In situations
like this when it is making a significant financial contribution,
it should use this leverage to require guarantees that sponsored
activities and projects do not result in adverse human rights impacts.

It is up to (BP / Nar Mobile / P&G / Tissot (part of Swatch Group) /
McDonald’s / TicketHour) to choose the message it wants to promote,
whether that will be the message of democracy, or the message of
support for one of the most authoritarian regimes in Europe.

In recent weeks, prominent human rights defenders in Azerbaijan have
been arrested. Hasan Huseynli, acting far from Baku, in Ganja, was
detained first. He is a renowned activist for people in the regions.

Then, Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif Yunus were put behind bars.

They were involved in the protection of citizens suffering from
massive expropriation in Baku and were promoting a peace process
between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in Nagorno-Karabakh. On 2 August,
Rasul Jafarov, a thirty-year-old human rights defender was detained
and arrested for three months. He was the mastermind of the ‘Sing
for Democracy’ campaign organised during the Eurovision song contest
held in Baku in 2012. He was engaged in counting political prisoners
in Azerbaijan and fought to mobilise international organisations
to react to the Azerbaijani government’s human rights abuses. On 8
August, Intigam Aliyev, a well-known activist and a prominent lawyer,
was arrested. He had won a dozen of cases against Azerbaijan before
the European Court of Human Rights. His arrest has left a number of
applicants to the Court without legal representation.

It is clear that the charges against these activists are spurious;
all of them were accused of economic and tax offences, despite the
fact that they operate non-profit organisations. Three weeks ago,
on exactly the same grounds, prosecution proceedings were opened
against 21 non-governmental organisations. Accounts of activists and
their organizations were frozen, and most of them have had to cease
their human rights activity.

The recent crackdown is just another step in a long chain of assaults
on democratic values. Anar Mammadli, the head of an independent
think-tank monitoring elections, who dared to claim that the
presidential elections held in the autumn of 2013 were unfair,
was jailed a couple of months ago. Ilgar Mammadov, the head of the
opposition party, was jailed over a year ago, and the European Court
of Human Rights has already acknowledged him as a political prisoner.

Prominent journalists, such as Tofiq Yagublu, Sardar Alibeili, and
Parviz Hashimli, have also been added to President Ilham Aliyev’s
collection of activists behind bars. These detentions are just a
derivative of policies that the Government of Azerbaijan has been
conducting for many years, preventing non-governmental organizations
from registering their activity and the grants received from foreign
funding.

In the light of these facts, it is striking that (BP / Nar Mobile /
P&G / Tissot (part of Swatch Group) / McDonald’s / TicketHour), a
company that strongly supported John Ruggie’s mandate and development
of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human rights, and on
numerous occasions highlights its efforts to respect human rights
and be a good corporate citizen, chooses to promote Azerbaijan by
providing financial support to the European Games. This leads to a
paradoxical situation in which a repressive leader – Ilham Aliyev –
receives loud support from companies in Europe, which choose to turn
a blind eye to the human rights abuses.

We call on you to verify and reassess, taking into account the U.N.

Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, to what extent
your financial support for the European Olympic Games in Baku will
white-wash human rights violations in Azerbaijan, and reconsider
your sponsorship. Despite the official statement of the Organizing
Committee, which attempts to ignore the political situation in
Azerbaijan and ongoing human rights repressions, we believe that the
activists’ arrests, in particular that of Rasul Jafarov, are related
to the organization of the games. The activist was planning to launch
a new campaign “Sport for democracy” during the 2015 European Games,
engaging sportsman and sport teams to promote democratic values and
draw the public attention to the degrading human rights situation in
the country.

We do hope and believe that an honest and diligent assessment of the
human rights situation in the country will lead you to reconsidering
the financial engagement in the European Games.

RECEPTION IN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE ON THE OCCASION OF 23RD ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE

16:37 | September 23,2014 | Politics

On September 22 in Strasburg- in the headquarters of Council of Europe,
RA standing mission in the CoE organized a reception on the occasion
of 23rd anniversary of Independence of Armenia.

RA permanent representative in the CoE, Ambassador Armen Papikyan
made a welcoming speech at the reception.

Greeting the guests, Ambassador Papikyan stressed in his speech that
the RA has moved through the irreversible path of democracy for 23
years and the help of CoE is very important.

RA permanent representative spoke about Armenia’s achievements
during years of independence and noted that Armenia is a country with
dynamically developing democracy based on CoE values and principals.

Human rights, rule of law, democracy are not only slogans in Armenia,
but indivisible components of development policy of the state.

Senior officials of Council of Europe, diplomats, Strasburg local
self-government bodies, social organizations and representatives of
Armenian community were present at the reception.

60.000 KURDES DE SYRIE DEJA REFUGIES EN TURQUIE POUR ECHAPPER AUX JIHADISTES D’EI

TURQUIE

Au moins 60.000 Kurdes de Syrie se sont refugies depuis vendredi en
Turquie pour fuir les combats entre les jihadistes du groupe Etat
islamique (EI) et les combattants kurdes dans le nord-est de la Syrie,
a annonce samedi un vice-Premier ministre turc.

“A l’heure où je vous parle, 45.000 Kurdes de Syrie ont franchi
la frontière et sont entres en Turquie en huit points de passage
differents s’etendant sur 30 km entre Akcakale et Mursitpinar” (sud),
a declare dans la matinee Numan Kurtulmus a la presse.

Cite par l’agence de presse gouvernementale Anatolie, M. Kurtulmus
a precise dans l’après-midi que le nombre de refugies ayant rejoint
le territoire turc avait atteint 60.000.

Selon un photographe de l’AFP, des cohortes de milliers de personnes
contraintes a l’exode, dont un grand nombre de femmes, d’enfants et
de vieillards charges de sacs et de valises se sont pressees tout au
long de la journee aux alentours du poste-frontière de Mursitpinar
(sud de la Turquie).

Les soldats turcs ont ouvert les barbeles qui separent les deux pays
en plusieurs points pour faciliter le passage de ces refugies, en
provenance directe de la ville d’Aïn-al-Arab (Kobane en langue kurde)
assiegee par les homme de l’EI, a rapporte ce photographe.

“Nous avons marche pendant cinq heures depuis notre village et nous
avons attendu une journee avant de pouvoir traverser la frontière”,
a declare l’un d’eux, Ahmet Omer Hadi, 37 ans. “Nous sommes ici
mais nous ne savons pas ce que nous allons faire”, a-t-il ajoute,
“nous avons tout laisse derrière nous”.

“Les jihadistes sont arrives dans notre village et ont menace tout le
monde”, a raconte Muahmmed Isa, qui a franchi la frontière avec sept
personnes de sa famille. “Ils ont bombarde notre village et detruit
nos maisons. Ils ont decapite ceux qui ont choisi de rester, c’est
pour ca que nous avons dû partir”, a poursuivi ce chauffeur de 47 ans.

Selon le photographe de l’AFP, d’epaisses colonnes de fumees en
provenance de Aïn al-Arab etaient visibles depuis la frontière turque.

“C’etait notre devoir” –

Après leur avoir un temps refuse l’entree, les autorites turques ont
ete contraintes vendredi d’ouvrir leur frontière a plusieurs milliers
de personnes qui se pressaient devant la localite turque de Dikmetas.

Le gouvernement islamo-conservateur d’Ankara a justifie ce geste
“exceptionnel” par la violence des combats qui se deroulent côte
syrien.

“Nous avons ouvert nos postes-frontières parce que c’etait notre
devoir”, a indique le vice-Premier ministre Kurtulmus. “La Turquie
etait prete a faire face a un afflux de refugies pouvant aller jusqu’a
100.000 personnes”, s’est-il felicite, “aucun pays au monde n’est
capable d’accueillir sans problème 45.000 refugies en une nuit”.

“Les vies de tous ceux qui arrivent de Syrie ou d’Irak en Turquie
sont sacrees pour nous, comme celles de nos propres ressortissants”,
a rencheri samedi le Premier ministre, Ahmet Davutoglu. “Tous ceux
qui viennent trouver refuge ici sont les bienvenus, quelles que soient
leur religion ou leur ethnie”, a-t-il ajoute.

En vertu de sa politique de “porte ouverte”, la Turquie accueille
aujourd’hui près d’un million et demi de refugies syriens qui ont
fui les combats qui opposent depuis 2011 les rebelles aux troupes du
president Bachar al-Assad.

Les capacites d’accueil des camps dresses le long de la frontière ont
ete depassees depuis très longtemps et plus d’un million d’entre eux
vivent dans les villes du pays, souvent dans la rue, provoquant des
incidents de plus en plus frequents avec la population locale.

Membre de l’Otan, la Turquie refuse de participer a toute operation
militaire contre l’EI dans le cadre de la coalition mobilisee autour
des Etats-Unis.

Accuse d’avoir un temps arme les rebelles les plus radicaux qui
combattent contre le president syrien Bachar al-Assad, dont l’EI,
Ankara a justifie sa retenue par sa volonte de proteger la vie de 49
de ses citoyens retenus en otage par l’EI.

Ces otages ont ete liberes samedi matin et ont regagne sains et saufs
la Turquie après une operation des services secrets turcs, selon le
president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

mardi 23 septembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

LES COMMENTAIRES DE L’ANCIEN PRESIDENT ENFLAMMENT LA JOURNEE DU SOUVENIR DES MORTS

ARMENIE

Le premier jour de la semaine dernière de travail, le lundi, les
Armeniens ont de nouveau observe Mereloc, jour du Souvenir des morts
non-travaille suite a une fete de l’eglise qui a ete lance par le
gouvernement de Tigran Sarkissian il y a six ans.

Au lieu de travailler lundi, les bureaux et d’autres etablissements
en Armenie ont travaille le samedi suivant.

Mereloc a ete observe cinq jours au cours de l’annee et cela est
conditionnee par les fetes de l’Eglise apostolique armenienne – la
Nativite et la Theophanie de notre Seigneur Jesus-Christ, la fete de
Pâques, la Transfiguration (Vardavar), l’Assomption de la Sainte Mère
de Dieu, et l’Exaltation de la Sainte Croix. Sur proposition du Saint
Siège d’Etchmiadzine et conformement a la decision du gouvernement,
le premier jour non ouvrable Mereloc a ete observe en Armenie le 26
Juin 2008.

Mais six ans après la decision l’attitude envers ce changement dans
la semaine de travail n’est toujours pas sans ambiguïte. Alors que
beaucoup se rejouissent de cette occasion au cours de laquelle les
gens n’ont pas a visiter les tombes de leurs parents morts un dimanche,
mais peuvent le faire le lendemain, d’autres trouvent que leur semaine
de travail est casse a cause de cela. D’autres encore considèrent que
c’est une decision vide de sens car ils ne suivent pas le calendrier
de l’eglise.

Tigran Sarkissian, dont le gouvernement a pris cette decision, a
demissionne en Avril et il semble a certains que la decision sur les
jours non ouvrables Mereloc allait bientôt etre revoque. Mais cela
ne s’est pas produit.

Ancien president de l’Armenie Robert Kotcharian a donne une nouvelle
dimension au debat dans sa plus recente interview, dans laquelle,
entre autres choses, il a egalement critique le gouvernement pour >.

Dans une interview avec le journal Noyev Kovcheg base a Moscou a la
fin Août Kotcharian a ete interroge sur les mesures qui devraient
etre prises en premier lieu pour une reprise economique en Armenie.

L’ancien chef qui etait en fonction en 1998-2008 a declare qu ‘>.

Certains citoyens en Armenie partagent ce point de vue. Susanna
Petrosyan, un travailleur du secteur public, estime que les jours
Mereloc ne doivent pas etre observes a la charge du travail les jours
de la semaine.

> dit-elle.

Beaucoup en Armenie parlent egalement contre l’observation de Mereloc
parce qu’ils le considèrent comme une > de la douleur.

Mais le Père Ghevond Mayilyan, qui est en charge des affaires du
Service des editions au Saint Siège d’Etchmiadzine a dit que ce n’est
pas le cas et que les gens ne doivent pas le considerer comme un jour
de deuil supplementaire.

>
dit-il. >.

Stepan Grigorian, 48 ans, figure parmi ceux qui croient qu’il est bon
d’avoir des journees Mereloc comme jours non ouvrables. Il n’accepte
pas les plaintes au sujet des changements dans la semaine de travail.

> dit-il.

GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN

ArmeniaNow

mardi 23 septembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

CHORRORD ISHKHANUTYUN: TRIO OF PARTIES TO HOLD RALLIES IN PROVINCES

Tuesday,
September
23

‘Chorrord Ishkhanutyun’ paper says that three non-government
parliamentary parties – Armenian National Congress (HAK), Prosperous
Armenia (BHK) and Heritage Parties will hold rallies in Armenian
provinces until October 30, after which a rally is scheduled in
Yerevan. According to the paper, BHK representative Naira Zohrabyan
will leave for Strasbourg to attend a session of the PACE so Vartan
Oskanyan will make a speech instead of her.

TODAY, 12:00

Aysor.am

CHORRORT ISHKANUTYUN: CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS PUT GOVERNMENT TO BIG EXPENSES

09:20 * 23.09.14

The constitutional reforms, which the Armenian authorities are trying
to impose on the society, cost the Government considerable budgetary
expenses, says the paper.

The commission of professionals working on the proposed package
conducted a working trip to Paris from 18 to 20 September to
participate in the debates over the draft with members of the Venice
Commission. Citing its sources, the paper says that the hosting side
covered only the travel expenses, with the accommodation costs being
paid from Armenia’s State Budget.

And regardless of the amount, it was the money of our ordinary
taxpayers, the paper claims.

It further refers to an earlier statement by the commission’s
secretariat saying that technical and organizational costs had been
made by GIZ and the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

Armenian News – Tert.am

U.S. ENVOY SAYS TURKEY’S RETURN OF CHURCHES ‘IMPORTANT PRIORITY’

September 23, 2014 – 10:32 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Advocating full respect for the rights of Turkey’s
ethnic and religious communities, including restoring ownership of
religious property, will be a very important priority for me and my
staff, U.S. ambassador to Turkey John Bass explained to Senator Mark
Kirk (R-IL) in response to a series of questions posed by the Illinois
legislator in the days leading up to the Ambassador’s confirmation
last week by the U.S. Senate, reported the Armenian National Committee
of America (ANCA).

Senator Kirk’s inquiries to ambassador Bass related primarily to U.S.

policy regarding Armenian Genocide reaffirmation and Turkey’s return
of confiscated Armenian, Greek and Assyrian religious properties.

Ambassador Bass, complying with instructions given to him by the
White House, avoided any direct mention of the Armenian Genocide,
noting that “the specific terminology the Administration uses
to refer to this tragedy is a policy determination made by the
President.” While acknowledging, within the bounds of Administration
policy, the historical fact that 1.5 million Armenians were massacred
or marched to their deaths in the final days of the Ottoman Empire, he
conspicuously dodged Senator Kirk’s simple factual question regarding
the actual party responsible for perpetrating these murders.

Consistent with recent State Department messaging, ambassador Bass
placed the onus on Ankara to come to terms with its past, stating:
“If confirmed as ambassador, it would be my duty to urge Turkey to
achieve a full, frank, and just acknowledgement of the facts of what
occurred in 1915.”

Noting that the Turkish “government seized thousands of properties
belonging to Christian and Jewish religious foundations between 1936
and 2011,” ambassador Bass listed several specific actions he would
take to help secure their return, including “working with both the
national government and local governments to replicate the success of
projects like the restoration of the St. Giragos Armenian church in
Diyarbakir, which was restored and reopened as a church in 2011.” The
Turkish government has attempted to secure international praise for the
reconstruction of several Christian churches, including the Holy Cross
Church on Akhtamar Island, which has been turned into a state-run,
secular museum and, until recently, was not even properly identified
as Armenian. St. Giragos is the only Armenian Church renovated in
conjunction with local authorities and returned to the Armenian
Patriarchate in Istanbul as a functioning place of worship.

“We would like to thank Senator Kirk for so ably and effectively
exercising the Senate’s advise and consent powers and, more broadly,
for ensuring meaningful Congressional engagement and oversight of an
increasingly complex and contentious U.S.-Turkey relationship,” said
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “While disappointed that the
Administration, on the eve of the Armenian Genocide centennial, chose
not to send Ambassador Bass before the U.S. Senate with a clear and
uncompromising mandate to tell the truth, we do welcome his expression
of American solidarity with the Armenian people, and also note that
his responses bring an added clarity to the evident, but too often
unarticulated, fact that President Obama bears responsibility for
determining the specific terminology the U.S. government uses to
refer to the Armenian Genocide.”

Asked about whether the State Department is following the ongoing U.S.

lawsuits calling for compensation from insurance companies and banks
related to genocide-era assets, ambassador Bass responded that they
“continue to follow developments closely,” and noted that “we recognize
current and potential future cases are more than just legal claims
for the heirs of victims and survivors; they represent a deep and
passionate search for resolution of one of the worst atrocities of
the 20th Century.”

Sen. Kirk’s inquiries were follow ups to written questions submitted
by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
and Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Ed Markey (D-MA).

The Senate leadership delayed the vote on the ambassador nominee
until last week, when he was approved by a vote of 98 to 0.

TURKEY’S ERDOGAN TO MEET ARMENIAN, JEWISH LEADERS IN NEW YORK

World Bulletin, Turkey
Sept 22 2014

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to meet Armenian
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian and a committee from the World Jewish
Congress.

World Bulletin / News Desk

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to meet with Jewish
and Armenian representatives in New York during his visit to the 69th
session of the United Nations General Assembly for Climate Summit.

Th summit will commence of September 22 and end on October 1, with
Erdogan expected to meet a committee from the World Jewish Congress
which will include Ronald Steven Lauder on the second day of his visit.

Erdogan is also scheduled to meet Armenian Archbishop Khajag Barsamian
of Diocese of Armenian Church of America (Eastern) and the president
of the Fund for Armenian Relief.

In May, Erdogan stopped short of an apology for the incidents of 1915,
which led to an unknown number of people dying in civil strife after
the Ottoman Empire approved a deportation law for Armenians on April
24 of that year.

Armenian lobby groups particularly in the West have been campaigning
to have the incident recognized as a ‘genocide’, an accusation
Turkey denies.

However, ahead of the anniversary of the incident, Erdogan said
“Regardless of their ethnic or religious origins, we pay tribute,
with compassion and respect, to all Ottoman citizens who lost their
lives in the incidents of 1915.”

The message was welcomed by Armenian intellectuals and the Armenian
Patriarchate in Turkey as a positive step.

The 1915 incidents took place during World War I, when a portion
of the Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with
invading Russians and rose up against the Ottoman authority. The
uprisings were followed by a decision by the Ottoman-era officials
to relocate the Armenians living in eastern Anatolia.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

His Holiness Aram I Explores Legal Options for Actions against Turkey

Antelias – On Friday, 19 September 2014, in his address at the
opening session of the Armenia-Diaspora Pan Armenian Conference, His
Holiness Aram I said that the 100th Anniversary Commemoration of the
Armenian Genocide urges Armenians to adopt new strategies for the
pursuit of their just cause, and that they must move from demanding
recognition to legal action.

Catholicos Aram I then announced, `For the past three years, we
have been exploring with experts of International Human Rights law,
legal options for demanding the restitution of our See in Sis to its
legal owners, the Armenian Church and its people.’ The
Catholicos then continued, ` Irrespective of the number of years
that separate us from the date of our Genocide, we shall continue
demanding justice from Turkey.’

The participants received His Holiness Aram I’s message with a
standing ovation.

For further media coverage of the speech of His Holiness, please visit
the following links:

*

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His Holiness Aram I on a Pastoral Visit to Greece

Antelias – 22 September 2014. His Holiness Aram I has left for
a ten-day pastoral visit to Greece, in response to the invitation of the
Prelate, Archbishop Khoren Toghramadjian, and the Church Council.

During his stay the Catholicos will visit the diocesan churches in the
country, meet with the community and take part in special celebrations.
He will also meet Greek government officials, lecture at Athens
University and meet with the Ecumenical Patriarch, His All Holiness
Bartholomew, in Komotini.

The Ecumenical Officer of the Catholicosate, Very Rev. Housig
Mardirossian, and staff bearer priest, Sempad Saboundjian, are
accompanying His Holiness Aram I.

# #

Daily Sabah, Turkey
Sept 21 2014

PM DAVUTOÄ?LU GIVES UNITY MESSAGE ON VISIT TO TURKIC ALLY AZERBAIJAN

Turkey and Azerbaijan will work “shoulder to shoulder” to settle
regional conflicts, PM Davutoglu said on his visit to Azerbaijan with
the aim of furthering relations based on history, brotherhood and
cooperation

Daily Sabah with Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL ‘ Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu on Friday paid his
second visit abroad to Azerbaijan as prime minister to show solidary
with “Turkey’s sister country.” Following a bilateral meeting with
Azeri President Ä°lham Aliyev, both leaders gave a joint press
conference in the Azerbaijani capital Baku. Regarding the long-running
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, DavutoÄ?lu said, “Turkey will stand by
Azerbaijan’s struggle until the last centimeter of its territory is
liberated.” Azerbaijan and Armenia, two former Soviet republics,
fought a war between 1988 and 1994 over the disputed Nagorno-
Karabakh region, which is a de jure territory of Azerbaijan but
remains under de facto Armenian control.

“Turkey and Azerbaijan will work shoulder to shoulder until the wider
region is converted into a region of peace and requirements of
international law are fulfilled,” said DavutoÄ?lu, pledging to continue
to side with Azerbaijan until the dispute is solved in the region.
DavutoÄ?lu referred to the most recent clashes on the border of the
disputed region in late July where 13 Azeri and Armenian soldiers were
killed, according to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense. To emphasize
the solidarity and the brotherhood between the two countries,
DavutoÄ?lu added that if Azerbaijan feels any pain, the same is felt in
Turkey’s heart. “When neighboring regions and the world are observed
and two success stories are to be told, Turkey and Azerbaijan are the
two success stories in the Middle East, Balkans, Caucasus and all of
Eurasia,” DavutoÄ?lu claimed. DavutoÄ?lu’s comments come against a
backdrop of renewed fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

There have been sporadic outbreaks of violence along the border
between Azerbaijan and the Nagorno-Karabakh region for decades but
fighting intensified at the beginning of August. The last agreement
for a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was signed
in Moscow in 2008. Armenia and Azerbaijan originally signed a
cease-fire in 1994 but never agreed to a peace settlement. The two
countries currently do not have diplomatic relations.

Noting that Turkey and Azerbaijan will continue to support each other
in international cooperation, DavutoÄ?lu expressed his wishes that as
Azerbaijan’s U.N. Security Council (UNSC) membership ends with the
upcoming UNSC election in October, Turkey will hopefully receive a
non-permanent membership seat. “Wherever we [Turkey] see the
Azerbaijani flag, we will be honored and we accept Azerbaijani success
in all international platforms as if it was Turkey’s success,” said
DavutoÄ?lu, praising the country’s international policies.

DavutoÄ?lu further reiterated what he has said on his previous visits
to Azerbaijan as foreign minister and said that during his time in the
Prime Ministry, Azerbaijan will carry the same values for him and his
government. DavutoÄ?lu said that Turkey will continue to support
Azerbaijan in the region and on the international platform with unity
and each project that has started will be finalized with
determination.

Regarding the bilateral talks between the two leaders, DavutoÄ?lu said
that they brought cooperation on the defense industry on the table and
added, “The defense industry is a critical and strategically important
sector. Turkey and Azerbaijan are determined to put joint projects
into practice in the defense industry.” DavutoÄ?lu concluded his speech
by saying that Turkey will always stand with Azerbaijan no matter what
happens.

President Aliyev spoke of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict affecting
energy development in the region: “Armenia has been isolated from
cooperation projects among regional countries because of its occupying
attitude.” “Our projects in the energy field are important, not only
for our country, but for the world as well.”

A groundbreaking ceremony for the high profile Trans Anatolian Natural
Gas Pipeline project will be held on Saturday. Aliyev said, “Sept. 20
is a historic day for us. We had signed the project of the 20th
century 20 years ago on Sept. 20 – we are starting the project of the
21st century in which Turkey and Azerbaijan have assumed a major
role.”