“Turkish-Azerbaijani relations are of great importance, and both sides should make efforts not to cripple and damage them,” said İsa Gambar, the leader of Müsavat, the opposition and second largest party in Azerbaijan. Stressing the importance of having faith in Turkish leadership, Gambar said it is necessary to trust the Turkish prime minister's words concerning the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, which he [Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan] reiterated both before the Azerbaijani Parliament and in various international stands.Since Sept. 6, 2008, when Turkish President Abdullah Gül visited Yerevan to watch the Turkey-Armenia World Cup qualifying match upon the invitation of his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarksyan, Turkish foreign affairs has made many strides leading to the signing ceremony of the two protocols. The signing of these protocols became an ending mechanism of these tough processes begun by both sides last year, simultaneously sticking in the minds as a start of the crossroads of the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement and the reconciliation of alienated neighbors. Only two months after the ratification of the protocols by the parliaments of Armenia and Turkey will the protocols be put into effect.
However, these processes were met and still are being met with harsh reactions not only on the Turkish and Armenian fronts but also in Azerbaijan, another neighbor to Turkey, at the same time its strategic ally in the region. The nationalists both inside and outside Armenia were protesting the healing of relations with Turkey in the wake of the protocols as the Armenia diaspora was considering this move a betrayal towards the recovery of “Great Armenia.” Nonetheless, in Turkey and Azerbaijan the agitation was because of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, which has been occupied together with adjacent territories by Armenia since the early '90s and because of which the borders between Turkey and Armenia were closed. The Azeri society is, in itself, concerned about the signing and ratification of these protocols unless the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh ends and the Azeri refugees and internally displaced persons return to their native lands.
Speaking to Sunday's Zaman, Elman Nasirov, the deputy director at the Center of Geostrategic Investigation within the Academy of Public Administration under the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, said he is sure that sooner or later the protocols signed between Armenia and Turkey will be ratified by Turkish Parliament. He based his idea on the seats that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) occupy in the Turkish Parliament. “The AK Party occupies 340 seats out of 550, which gives me the idea that the protocols could be ratified, if not the first time then the second time for sure.” However, he stated that it is impossible for the AK Party not to take any steps towards the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. “Otherwise, this will lead to major changes in the region of the South Caucasus and thus will result in the change of the status quo,” added the expert. “Expected change in Azerbaijan's foreign policy will not be welcomed by Turkey and the West,” Nasirov underlined.
Calling for attentive and sensitive behavior from both Turkey and Azerbaijan, Gambar said the sides should not act on emotions. “These are the complicated and risky processes. And we expect sensitive behaviors by Turkey. We have rights for that," stated the opposition leader. Mentioning his thoughts about mass media and their role in the delivery of these events to Azeri people, Gambar noted that these are limited discussions that do not display the opinions of mainstream Azerbaijani society.
“The Azeri society should explicitly assert their opinions towards the steps being put forward by the Turkish government these days. The signed protocols, which could bring the opening of the border between Turkey and Armenia, is an attempt at empowering the aggressor [Armenia]. The Azeri side should voice that,” said Nasirov. “However, it does not mean to cause a deterioration of relations with the Turkish businessmen and students in Azerbaijan.” The expert especially stressed that harming relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan constitutes the main part of Armenian national strategic policy and that the Azeris should not create a situation by getting angry with Turkey to realize their ambitions.
Good relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan have been worsening since April, when negotiations to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia took a bold line. Despite Prime Minister Erdoğan's eloquent speech before Azerbaijani deputies on May 13, which has somehow silenced the voices criticizing Turkey over the Armenian initiative, the relations worsened after August, when the two countries started internal political consultations. The item that angered Azerbaijan the most in the protocols was the opening of the border between the two countries. Turkey has had a closed border with Armenia since 1993 following the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory of Azerbaijan currently controlled by Armenia.
