Interview with Fikret Sadikhov, Azerbaijani political scientist.
Q: Head of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Vasif Talibov held high level meetings in Turkey. By results of the talks Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu made a statement about Ankara’s loyalty to the Kars treaty and that Turkey remains the guarantor of Nakhchivan’s security. What can you say about it?
A: Nakhchivan is a special regional unit that has been fixed in the international documents since last century. There are guarantees of Turkey, Kars document and interregional cooperation between Nakhchivan and Turkey which is developing in most directions. This is quite natural and normal. The main border of Azerbaijan and Turkey lies via Nakhchvan. Naturally, Talibov’s meetings were to be on the high level. Meanwhile, the fact that Davutoglu makes such statements says that Turkey’s support to Azerbaijan will continue. Turkey has never rejected this support. This also proves that Turkey facing Armenian political obstinacy, whims and ambitions in the issue of normalization of ties has become convinced that Azerbaijan is its only ally in the region. In addition, it is not merely an ally, it is also a like-minded people and partner in residing separatism, territorial claims and protection of Turkey’s position in the issue of fictional “Armenian genocide”. Azerbaijan holds an active foreign policy activity on resisting propaganda on the so-called “genocide”. Therefore, Davutoglu’s statement of support to Nakhchivan is in terms of these relations, especially since Turkey has become convinced that it is merely impossible to build and form civilian relations with Armenia or open borders and set diplomatic ties with it.
Q: What was the need for the Turkish FM to persuade the Nakhchivan leader that Ankara will continue being the guarantor of its security? Has there been any threat to Nakhchivan’s security?
A: Nakhchivan has long been in a state of blockade. This land has repeatedly been attacked by Armenia. In addition, Nakhchivan remains an object of the territorial claims of Armenia. The statements about it are periodically voiced in Yerevan. There have always been frontier clashes there. Armenia has insatiable appetites which are growing. Armenians are always dreaming of expanding their territory by means of Azerbaijan and Turkey. Yerevan periodically voice statements both on official and unofficial levels that Nakhchivan is part of “Great Armenia” Today we observe the period of the biggest tensions in regional relations. This tension also comes from Armenia’s failure to give a rational response to the renewed Madrid principles proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, and its suspension of the normalization process with Turkey. Armenia continues pushing its resolutions on “genocide” throughout the world, Armenia puts territorial claims to the neighbor states. Therefore, I consider that Davutoglu’s statement is quite in terms of this context, it sounds actual and is a serious remembrance to some hot heads in Yerevan about existence of international law, Kars treaty of 1921 and existence of Turkey as a guarantor of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
Q: Do you think Talibov would have visited Turkey and Davutoglu would have made the statement if the process of normalization of the Turkish-Armenian relations did not fail?
A: I am almost sure that there would have been neither this visit nor the statement, because we can recall the reaction of Baku and Azerbaijani public regarding the signing of the Zurich prootocls. We have expressed our discontent without hiding it at all levels. We have mentioned that the unsettled Karabakh problem and the occupation of Karabakh and seven adjacent regions of Azerbaijan is a center of serious tensions and instability in this region. By opening borders and restoring diplomatic relations with Armenia, Turkey will never gain stability and security in this region. In addition, by signing and ratifying these protocols, Turkey is thus damaging itself since Armenia has, in fact, changed the essence of these documents by introducing amendments to these protocols in its Constitutional Court. Meanwhile, under the amendments, Armenia will continue striving for the international recognition of 1915 events as “genocide” and Yerevan does not reject its previous territorial claims to Turkey. If Turkey has ratified these protocols without respect to the Azerbaijani regions, first of all, stability would never be restored in the region, since the enemy would feel itself a stronger player and take an irreconcilable position in the negotiations on Karabakh. Second, the destabilization of the situation would start in Turkey, because there were many opponents of protocols in this country. On the whole, if Turkey has ratified the Zurich protocols, these would have destabilized the situation in the region. Under such tensions in relations there would have been no visit of the chairman of the Supreme Medjlis of Nakhchivan or any other official to Turkey, The situation would be inadequate in which the whole configuration of relations in this region would have changed and Azerbaijan has already been prepared for this.
Q: Though Armenia has officially initiated the suspension of normalization of ties with Turkey, some consider that Yerevan will lose more from this. What do you think about it?
A: Certainly, Armenia will lose. Only Turkey will benefit from it. The opening of borders would have been profitable for Armenia. But its untimely political ambitions, constant whims played a bad game with it. Armenia wants the protocols signed with Turkey to come effective, because it is in a state of economic collapse and political deadlock. In this situation it is in a great need of access to the wider space, which lies via Turkey. But Armenians do not want to disavow their old ambitions and claims. Armenians want to restore ties with Turkey, have open borders and diplomatic relations with it but at the same time they are not going to reject the claims for Turkish lands and resolutions on 1915 events, they have no intention to liberate occupied Azerbaijani lands. But there can never be like this in policy. This is nonsense. If Armenia still does not understand this, it will remain in this state, winning absolutely nothing from this situation.
Q: As is known, the normalization of the Turkish-Armenian relations and Madrid basic principles of the Karabakh conflict settlement have been initiated by the same states, the so-called superpowers. Both these directions are successfully hampered by Yerevan. Can these superpowers be expected to put pressure on Armenia to incline it to be more constructive or will they forgive it, like they usually do?
A: Despite all this, Armenia is not under pressure of the leading states. Superpowers have just nominated these proposals but they do not press on Armenia for it to adopt them. Azerbaijan demonstrates tolerance. Though we have been negotiating on the Karabakh issue for many years, we are ready, we accept the Madrid principles, even with definite difficulties for ourselves. Meanwhile, Armenia is maneuvering, just because the superpowers do not put pressure on it. Unfortunately, the superpowers continue taking into account Yerevan’s whims thus arising problems. Superpowers understand that truth is in Azerbaijan’s favor. Our lands are under occupation and we are ready to grant a high status to Nagorno Karabakh. But the tragedy of the situation is that the negotiation process has been protracted so much that Yerevan dares to play with world superpowers and instead of putting pressure on Yerevan for Armenia to accept the proposals worked out by the mediators, new Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Popov is flirting with Armenians. He visits Armenia, Khankendi, holds some senseless and unnecessary talks with Bako Saakyan who settles nothing in this negotiation process. Armenians will continue this game, unless superpowers put any serious pressure on Yerevan.
News.Az
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