TURKIC PARTNERSHIP AND ARMENIAN DREAMS

Turkey and Azerbaijan have reaffirmed the highest level of strategic partnership, giving a new impetus to bilateral relations.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose Justice and Development Party confidently won the elections on 12 June, did not violate the longstanding tradition by organizing his first foreign visits to the countries closest in spirit: Northern Cyprus and Azerbaijan.

Erdogan announced in advance topical issues of relations with Azerbaijan, among which he highlighted the energy component.

It is worth noting that Baku and Ankara have no economic problems, and the two countries have tried to build a common strategy for all regional projects in recent years.

In the recent period, the implementation of the Nabucco pipeline project has acquired special importance, and the interests of many states are closely intertwined in it. Of course, it was difficult to avoid certain political and economic difficulties when reaching a common denominator. However, the parties immediately made it clear that understanding on all issues, including on the transit of Azerbaijani gas via Turkey, would be achieved through mutual concessions and compromise.

In recent years, the economic potential of Azerbaijan has grown considerably, allowing the country to implement large investment programmes abroad, including in Turkey.

This trend was highlighted by President Ilham Aliyev who drew attention to the fact that Azerbaijani companies have already invested more than $ 4 billion in the Turkish economy, and in the coming years, it is planned to invest an additional $ 6 billion in the petrochemical industry of the brotherly country alone.

Erdogan, for his part, drew attention to the expansion of mutually beneficial economic cooperation between the two countries, recalling that 2010 saw a trade turnover of about $ 2.5 billion between Turkey and Azerbaijan, which has reached $ 1.4 billion over the first 5 months. "At this rate, we will be able to reach a level of $ 3 billion by the end if this year," the Turkish prime minister said, stressing that the prosperity of the region depends on the elimination of existing problems, one of which is the aggressive policy of Armenia.

Erdogan noted Ankara's consistent position regarding the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, stressing that the Nagornyy Karabakh problem is a bleeding wound for both Azerbaijan and Turkey. "The territory of Nagornyy Karabakh is occupied, and the occupiers are known. This is evidenced not only by us, but also by the United Nations. This has been proven, and the issue should be resolved," Erdogan said, adding that unlike Yerevan, Baku has always demonstrated constructivism.

The sides also noted the sharply negative reaction of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey to statements by the Armenian president who called on the future generations of the Armenian youth to retake "Western Armenia".

The Turkish prime minister said that a statesman should not to inculcate enmity and hatred in future generations, stressing that Serzh Sargsyan's position is a blatant attempt to incite anger against Ankara and instil anger and hatred in the future generations of Armenians.

Erdogan said that Sargsyan made a serious historical mistake and should apologize.

This statement by Erdogan was disseminated by the Turkish media which widely covered the Azerbaijani-Turkish talks. Milliyet newspaper wrote that Erdogan's statements about Sargsyan suggest that the Turkish prime minister "forgot about the policy of rapprochement with Armenia in Baku".

The media noted that this kind of rhetoric is fraught with deterioration in the already difficult economic situation in Armenia, which forces tens of thousands of citizens to leave the country.

This point was also emphasized by President Ilham Aliyev, who drew attention to the fact that poverty, destitution and hopelessness reign in Armenia today. "There is not a single normal company there, and if there are no foreign donations and foreign patrons, the country will perish. And this is while the real population is just 1.8 million," said Aliyev, adding: "And these people claim primordial, historical lands of Turkey."

"They (Armenians - editor) believe that they have resolved the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. They are wrong. Nagornyy Karabakh is an Azerbaijani land and will remain an Azerbaijani land. There will come a time when Azerbaijan will restore its sovereignty over Nagornyy Karabakh peacefully or militarily. But territorial claims to such a great country like Turkey simply indicate that something is missing in the heads of these people. They live not in the real world, but in a world of dreams they have created themselves," Aliyev said, making it clear that the policy of pressure on the occupier will be continued.

Following Erdogan's visit to Baku, it became clear that misunderstandings in relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan due to efforts to open the Turkish-Armenian border without considering Baku's interests have been eliminated.

Ankara understands that all dividends from the opening of the border with Armenia are not comparable with what Turkey may lose by spoiling its relations with Azerbaijan. Although no documents were signed on the basis of Erdogan's one-day official visit to Baku, Aliyev and Erdogan sent a clear message: "It is impossible to damage relations between Baku and Ankara." And regional players and global powers must take this into account.