The independence of Azerbaijan, which like other Central Asian republics was declared after the Soviet Union collapsed, was recognized by Turkey first.
May 28, Azerbaijan’s Republic Day, is the nation’s day to celebrate its independence and freedom. As is the case every year, this year there will be important events to mark Republic Day. Azerbaijan, which declared its independence on Oct. 18, 1991, is only 18 years old. Turkey’s support has been behind the young nation since it declared its independence, and relations between the two countries have developed well on many different levels. Owing to favorable opportunities, privileges and, most importantly, to the common needs of the public, Turkish-Azerbaijani relations have reached a very important level in the past 18 years. During this period, some countries — Russia, Armenia and Iran, in particular — developed strong interests in Azerbaijan for various reasons, such as its geopolitical location and its natural resources, but ties between Azerbaijan and Turkey have continued unhindered.
Establishing ties on a firm ground from the very beginning had a positive impact on the relations between Turkey and other Central Asian republics. These relations are not due to family ties alone but also to the relationship between the countries as a result of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline. These two pipelines are known as the "projects of the century."
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which is still under construction, will revive the old Silk Road, connecting Turkey and Europe to Central Asia via Azerbaijan. A cargo train from China to Kazakhstan will be able to reach Europe via our country. These giant projects are making Azerbaijan and Turkey the powerhouses of Eurasia. On the one hand, Azerbaijan is a rapidly growing country; on the other hand, it faces a difficult problem due to Armenia’s occupation of 20 percent of its territory. Azerbaijan has a population of 8 million, 1 million of whom fled the Nagorno-Karabakh region due to war and settled in different parts of the country, especially Baku. This means one out of every eight people in Azerbaijan is a refugee. The Baku administration dragged the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, which is almost as old as the country’s independence, into a vortex of irresolvability as a "frozen" problem. This issue stands as a major obstacle to the acceleration of economic and political progress in the country. In 1992 a summit was held to find a permanent solution to the dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk Group, co-chaired by the US, Russia and France, was established at this summit in order to encourage a peaceful resolution of the problem. Although a countless number of summits have been held between Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders over the last 17 years, no progress has been made on resolving the issue. Problems in the Caucasus region intensified with the war between Russia and Georgia. Turkey began taking solid steps regarding issues in the region, similar to the efforts it made regarding issues in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq. Efforts by Turkey to become an active player in the region were introduced with the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform. The diplomatic traffic between Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan increased, and while the developments in Georgia appeared to be the main issue at that time, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would soon become the biggest obstacle the platform would have to deal with.
Deputies draw attention to those sowing discord
Azerbaijani deputy Ganire Paşayeva noted that the recent unsubstantiated tension between the two countries eased with Erdoğan’s visit to Baku. Noting that there were aims to disrupt sincere efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, Paşayeva said no power could disrupt relations between the two countries. "We saw once more that the Turkish and Azerbaijani people’s most important problem and distress is the Karabakh problem. During this period, the well-intentioned efforts of sincere people of both countries should not be distorted," he said, noting that the messages given by both Aliyev and Erdoğan in Baku disrupted the efforts of those trying to sow discord among the public.
Stating that there are some hostile forces trying to meddle in the affairs of the two countries, former Prime Minister Penah Hüseynov, who is currently a deputy and a member of the Turkey-Azerbaijan Friendship Commission, said, "Our relations must be so tight that no enemy could have the courage or opportunity to even try to infiltrate it." The chairman of the Great Establishment Party, Fazil Mustafa, ensured that there was no way the countries could be distanced from each other, but noted that there are forces that are trying to revive old tensions. Noting that the tension between Azerbaijan and Turkey stemmed from miscommunication, Mustafa said some people were trying to exploit this communication failure and spark concern and suspicion.
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