New road block on the ’road map’
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 14, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - The road to reconciliation between Ankara and Yerevan takes a detour as Prime Minister Erdoğan stops off in Baku to meet with Azerbaijani President Aliyev. In a joint press conference, Erdoğan once again states that a solution to Nagorno-Karabakh problem, namely the retreat of Armenian troops, is the key to opening the border between Turkey and Armenia
Squeezed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Turkey yesterday reaffirmed that "the border with Armenia will remain closed until Armenian occupation of Azeri territories ends," potentially bringing reconciliatory talks with Yerevan back to the beginning and the road map to a dead end.
"There is a cause and effect relation here. Occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh is the cause here and closing of the border is the effect. It is impossible for us to open the border unless that occupation ends," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at a joint press conference with Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev during his two-day visit to Baku.
Erdoğan’s visit was aimed at calming down Azerbaijan, which has been disappointed by Ankara’s negotiations with Yerevan about a road map to normalize ties last month.
Following a meeting with Aliyev, Erdoğan also addressed the Azerbaijani parliament to inform them about the recent developments.
"Who is saying this? The prime minister of the Republic of Turkey. Could there be any better guarantee?" Erdoğan told Azerbaijani deputies.
Erdoğan’s statement verifies Turkey’s new position toward the reconciliation process with Armenia, which introduces the Nagorno-Karabakh problem as the new condition for moving forward with Yerevan.
Turkey says the rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia has also mobilized the international community for the solution of the frozen Nagorno-Karabakh and deserves some praise by Baku as well.
"There is no reason left to be suspicious. The words of the prime minister constitute the best response for that," Aliyev said, adding that the reasons for their concerns were some media reports that were not denied by Turkey. "But in April, the statements by President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Erdoğan clarified the situation and made us feel relieved," he said.According to Erdoğan, the reasons for Baku’s concerns stemmed from false news in the press, especially from a Web site in Armenia that said, "Turkey decides to give up its support for the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and is unconditionally ready to open the border with Armenia."
"I stated our position many times in our Parliament and at press conferences. Which one do you think is more credible: Statements from Turkey’s prime minister and president or what a Web site says?" Erdoğan said in his address to parliament. "We fully share Azerbaijan’s sensitivities over the Nagorno-Karabakh. It’s not possible for us to accept speculations made against Turkey over this issue."
Though he has put the blame for Baku’s discomfort on the press, Erdoğan also acknowledged "there was a sort of communication failure between Turkish and Azeri officials." He said: "It seems we should meet more often and talk directly. We should not use the press as our messengers. You see what the press is doing."
Between the lines, Erdoğan also confessed that the Turkish government did not update Baku on its talks with Armenia. "There is a rule in diplomacy. The meetings are kept secret until they are finalized. That’s why we could not share information," he said. Baku was complaining about the lack of information about Turkey-Armenia talks last month.
Describing the two countries’ bilateral relations as perfect and brotherly, Erdoğan asked Azerbaijani lawmakers to deny those who wish to conspire against Turkish-Azerbaijani friendship.
Erdoğan urges the Minsk group
Placing the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement as a condition, Erdoğan also called on the Minsk Group, set up in 1992 and co-chaired by Russia, the United States and France, to speed up efforts to find a solution to Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents met last week in Prague to discuss the solution of the two-decade-old dispute. They will meet again in St. Petersburg, Russia next month. "We are ready to do our best if a mission falls to us [with regard to the Nagorno-Karabkh talks]," he said.
Reaffirming that Turkey’s position on the issue remains same, Erdoğan said: "But on the other hand, leaving the dispute unsolved is in no one’s interest. Solutions to these sorts of disputes require stamina. That was our point when we were meeting [with Armenians] to solve the problems."
Another top issue discussed between the two leaders and energy ministers was adjusting the gas prices. Turkey buys about 6 billion cubic meters of Caspian natural gas annually since a pipeline from the Azerbaijani Shakh-Deniz field opened in 2007. Seeking an additional 8 billion cubic meters, Turkey was only paying $120 per 1,000 cubic meters, well below the global natural gas prices."I know it’s not a fair price. I believe we are going to agree on a fairer price," Erdoğan said.
İlham Aliyev, on the other hand, denied any link between a thaw on the political front and negotiations over gas prices. "The gas prices depend on the ups and downs of the oil prices. And it is also written in our earlier made agreements," he said.
"There is a cause and effect relation here. Occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh is the cause here and closing of the border is the effect. It is impossible for us to open the border unless that occupation ends," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at a joint press conference with Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev during his two-day visit to Baku.
Erdoğan’s visit was aimed at calming down Azerbaijan, which has been disappointed by Ankara’s negotiations with Yerevan about a road map to normalize ties last month.
Following a meeting with Aliyev, Erdoğan also addressed the Azerbaijani parliament to inform them about the recent developments.
"Who is saying this? The prime minister of the Republic of Turkey. Could there be any better guarantee?" Erdoğan told Azerbaijani deputies.
Erdoğan’s statement verifies Turkey’s new position toward the reconciliation process with Armenia, which introduces the Nagorno-Karabakh problem as the new condition for moving forward with Yerevan.
Turkey says the rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia has also mobilized the international community for the solution of the frozen Nagorno-Karabakh and deserves some praise by Baku as well.
"There is no reason left to be suspicious. The words of the prime minister constitute the best response for that," Aliyev said, adding that the reasons for their concerns were some media reports that were not denied by Turkey. "But in April, the statements by President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Erdoğan clarified the situation and made us feel relieved," he said.According to Erdoğan, the reasons for Baku’s concerns stemmed from false news in the press, especially from a Web site in Armenia that said, "Turkey decides to give up its support for the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and is unconditionally ready to open the border with Armenia."
"I stated our position many times in our Parliament and at press conferences. Which one do you think is more credible: Statements from Turkey’s prime minister and president or what a Web site says?" Erdoğan said in his address to parliament. "We fully share Azerbaijan’s sensitivities over the Nagorno-Karabakh. It’s not possible for us to accept speculations made against Turkey over this issue."
Though he has put the blame for Baku’s discomfort on the press, Erdoğan also acknowledged "there was a sort of communication failure between Turkish and Azeri officials." He said: "It seems we should meet more often and talk directly. We should not use the press as our messengers. You see what the press is doing."
Between the lines, Erdoğan also confessed that the Turkish government did not update Baku on its talks with Armenia. "There is a rule in diplomacy. The meetings are kept secret until they are finalized. That’s why we could not share information," he said. Baku was complaining about the lack of information about Turkey-Armenia talks last month.
Describing the two countries’ bilateral relations as perfect and brotherly, Erdoğan asked Azerbaijani lawmakers to deny those who wish to conspire against Turkish-Azerbaijani friendship.
Erdoğan urges the Minsk group
Placing the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement as a condition, Erdoğan also called on the Minsk Group, set up in 1992 and co-chaired by Russia, the United States and France, to speed up efforts to find a solution to Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents met last week in Prague to discuss the solution of the two-decade-old dispute. They will meet again in St. Petersburg, Russia next month. "We are ready to do our best if a mission falls to us [with regard to the Nagorno-Karabkh talks]," he said.
Reaffirming that Turkey’s position on the issue remains same, Erdoğan said: "But on the other hand, leaving the dispute unsolved is in no one’s interest. Solutions to these sorts of disputes require stamina. That was our point when we were meeting [with Armenians] to solve the problems."
Another top issue discussed between the two leaders and energy ministers was adjusting the gas prices. Turkey buys about 6 billion cubic meters of Caspian natural gas annually since a pipeline from the Azerbaijani Shakh-Deniz field opened in 2007. Seeking an additional 8 billion cubic meters, Turkey was only paying $120 per 1,000 cubic meters, well below the global natural gas prices."I know it’s not a fair price. I believe we are going to agree on a fairer price," Erdoğan said.
İlham Aliyev, on the other hand, denied any link between a thaw on the political front and negotiations over gas prices. "The gas prices depend on the ups and downs of the oil prices. And it is also written in our earlier made agreements," he said.