The international conference on Azerbaijan-Turkey relations organized by the Center for Strategic Studies under President of Azerbaijan and the Center for Strategic Studies under Turkish Foreign Ministry was held at Konya Selcuk University.
The conference was moderated by senior researcher of Azerbaijan’s Center for Strategic Studies Javid Valiyev. MP Fazil Mustafa, Director General of APA Group Vusala Mahirgizi, representative of Azerbaijani-Turkish Business Association (ATIB) Rashad Rasullu and director of the Center for Eurasian Studies of the Turkish Economics and Technology University Ihsan Comak participated in the conference.
Valiyev underlined that the relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are developing year after year since Azerbaijan regained its independence. Touching on the occupation of Nagorno Karabakh Javid Valiyev said Turkey always supports Azerbaijan in the resolution of the conflict. He underlined the importance of the joint activity of the Diaspora organizations of the two countries.
Speaking about Turkey-Azerbaijan relations in the recent 20 years, MP Fazil Mustafa said the most common, the most discussed point in these relations is Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
“Turkey itself has problems concerning south-east region, Northern Cyprus, Iraq and Greece. Azerbaijan has problems such as the recognition of the rights of our compatriots in South Azerbaijan, Lake Urmia, pressures by Russia at times. But Nagorno Karabakh conflict is a common problem of the two countries. Both strategic alliance and fraternal relations make it necessary for Turkey and Azerbaijan to act jointly,” he said.
Speaking about the recent talks on Nagorno Karabakh problem, Fazil Mustafa said Turkey is the only country disinterestedly supporting Azerbaijan in this problem. Drawing attention to the improvement of Turkey-Russia relations, the parliamentarians said it also expresses Azerbaijan’s interests.
“Improvement of the relations between Turkey and Russia may help resolve Karabakh problem,” he said.
Fazil Mustafa put forward proposals on strengthening economic, political relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey. He underlined the importance of the event held in Izmir, Azerbaijan’s investment in Turkey’s economy.
Vusala Mahirgizi spoke about the relations between the media of Azerbaijan and Turkey. Vusala Mahirgizi noted that when Azerbaijan regained its independence Turkish media was first available in the country and there is a need for much closer cooperation between the media structures of the two countries.
“The Zaman newspaper and TRT reported about 20 January tragedy of 1990. These were the first media outlets to come to Azerbaijan,” she said.
Noting that the relations between the Azerbaijani and Turkish media were sentimental in the first years of independence, Vusala Mahirgizi said since 1993 the media of the two countries has written more about the economic cooperation.
The relations between the two countries covered most off the entire economic sphere. According to her, the media organizations of both countries outlived mutual political discussions and tensions in 2009: “The border problem between the two countries, the discussions on Nagorno Karabakh and fictitious “Armenian genocide” involved media again in the political topics. It also demonstrated the importance of discussions between the media organizations of the two countries. Over the last years Turkey and Azerbaijan hosted the forum of Turkic-speaking countries and communities and the confederation was established. It is a good method for assembling of media organizations to hold permanent discussions on the problems”.
Mahirgizi said that there were agreements between media organizations of both countries, but it was insufficient. She said unfortunately Azerbaijan was not on agenda of Turkish news agencies.
Director of Eurasian Studies Center of the Turkey’s University of Economics and Technology Ihsan Comak touched upon the Turkey’s role in the region. He said that Turkey’s policy on rapprochement with Armenia considers getting this country out of Russia’s influence. Touching on fictitious “Armenian genocide” claims, the expert said that in 2015, it would be 100 years of these claims. “In my opinion, Azerbaijan and Turkey must work on the solution of this problem, because it will be difficult to solve this problem on the eve of the centenary, Armenians have started preparations to create the image of “oppressed people”.
ATIB’s representative Rashad Rasullu spoke about the economic cooperation between the countries and its prospects. He said that the mutual trade turnover is USD 1.5 mln. Saying that it was not so great figure, he noted that Turkey is a largest foreign investor in Azerbaijan’s non-oil sector. He noted that 1800 Turkey companies were registered in Azerbaijan, this company invested about USD 6 bln in Azerbaijan. He noted that Azerbaijani companies invested USD 4.5 bln in Turkey, and said that 850 Azerbaijani companies were registered in Turkey.
Rasullu touched on prospects of join cooperation in oil and gas sector. He underlined the importance of eliminating some problems for the development of relations between both countries.
Moderator Javid Valiyev reconsidered the relations between the two countries and announced that the work was carried out for development of relations in all sectors.
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