TURKISH-STYLE RESETTING

- After the well-known appeal by the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organization, Abdullah Ocalan, several militant groups laid down their arms in eastern provinces of Turkey. Is there any reason to believe that the armed fight against the PKK is no longer on the agenda of the Turkish government?

- It is too early to draw any specific conclusions. The PKK leader’s appeal was the result of the complex general political process of turning the armed struggle into a political dialogue. Currently, one third of the deputies of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey are Turkish citizens of Kurdish origin. At the grassroots level, there has never been any animosity as such between Turks and Kurds. For many years, Kurds, alongside Turks, Azerbaijanis and other peoples of our country, have protected their homeland from foreign threats. In Turkey, there are hundreds of thousands of mixed Kurdish-Turkish families. The feud came from outside together with the PKK. The government of Turkey has been implementing a project of reconciliation for several years to establish sustainable trust and friendship between the Turkish and Kurdish peoples. Our Kurdish citizens are represented in very high positions in the government, army, police, business, and other structures. And in this situation, Ocalan’s well-known appeal was made. Now a lot depends on two factors. The first one is whether this process will be torpedoed by foreign forces. As you know, there are various geopolitical projects like the "Greater Middle East", which involves the creation of a Kurdish state. There are countries that are interested in having permanent tensions in Eastern Anatolia. Secondly, militants have launched a lucrative criminal business in the south-eastern provinces. This is smuggling of goods, drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, weapons, etc. The question is whether they will take advantage of the chance to return to civilian life? I think that the situation will become clearer in the coming months.

- If PKK militants stop the armed fight, will it allow Ankara to deal more effectively with another problem - territorial claims by Armenia?

- It is obvious to everyone that without the liberation of Azerbaijani lands, there will be no peace and stability in the South Caucasus. For Turkey, the return of the occupied Azerbaijani lands is also a problem of national significance. With a few exceptions, for example, the one hundred thousand Armenian guest workers living in Istanbul, Izmir and other cities, the entire population of Turkey is in favour of strengthening the Turkish government's policy aimed at restoring the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. At a recent meeting, which was attended by FAOT representatives, Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek said that in dealing with the issue of liberating Azerbaijani lands, Turkey has always been and will be with Azerbaijan.

- The Armenian diaspora, as in previous years, is going to raise a fuss about the fictitious issue of "Armenian genocide" in April this year.

- We are ready to fight back another campaign of Armenian lies and slander. Last year, on 24 April in Kocaeli, we opened the world's only museum of Xocali genocide. The opening of the museum was attended by representatives of the Turkish and Azerbaijani governments, MPs and public figures. Turkey's position on this issue is unambiguous and objective. Turkey has opened the archives for anyone who wants to understand the essence of the events of 1915. In the Ottoman Empire, the Armenians had all the rights and freedoms. Persons of Armenian origin were among the ministers, military leaders and successful entrepreneurs, but at the instigation of Russia, England and France during the First World War, the Armenians tried to stab Turks in the back. In the provinces of Agri and Kars, Armenians killed 110,000 Turks. In response to this betrayal, Istanbul decided to deport the Armenians to the western regions of the Ottoman Empire. This decision was taken in accordance with wartime conditions, which was an appropriate response to collaborationism, but there was nothing like genocide. Until 1964, this did not cause any questions. But in the 1970's there appeared a terrorist organization called ASALA, which killed more than 40 Turkish diplomats. When ASALA was finished, there appeared the PKK. All these organizations are formed and controlled by forces outside Turkey. Millions of dollars are spent only on Armenian propaganda against Turkey. There are many countries that are afraid and try to prevent Turkey from strengthening. There are countries that have claims against Turkey as the successor to the Ottoman Empire, but there are also just envious people. For example, Cyprus was accepted into the EU to spite Turkey. Now European officials are reaping the benefits of this ill-considered decision. France, the US, Great Britain and even Germany react to the so-called "genocide of 1915" so "sensitively", but do not see or do not want to see the real genocide committed by Armenians in Xocali quite recently. We are currently carrying out preparatory work to raise with all European legal entities the question of the Armenian leadership’s responsibility for the genocide in Xocali.

- Recently, there appeared people in Turkey who demonstrate understanding, or rather solidarity with Armenia in the issue of "genocide." Who are they?

- In every society there are treacherous people who are ready to describe "black" as "white" for money. These people do not represent anything significant. For our countries, it is important that we, as "one nation, two states", continue our economic, social and cultural development. We need to further expand integration, joint business and cooperation in all spheres. Azerbaijan and Turkey are a unique example of a strategic partnership.

- And how does this policy comply with plans to open flights from Turkey to Armenia?

- In Turkey, this issue is viewed through an economic prism. Almost all goods of vital importance come from Turkey to Armenia via Georgia. Turkish products come to Georgia through commercial lines, and the Armenians buy and carry them to their territory. This is undesirable, but it is taking place. Political relations with Armenia are completely different. When you defend your interests in the political struggle, there can be no compromise. "There are different geopolitical projects like the "Greater Middle East", which involves the creation of a Kurdish state" "For Turkey, the return of the occupied Azerbaijani lands is also a problem of national significance" "We are currently carrying out preparatory work to raise with all European legal entities the question of the Armenian leadership’s responsibility for the genocide in Xocali"