Senior official says Baku might resort to war if Karabakh diplomacy fails

Ramiz Mehdiyev, the head of the Azerbaijani presidential administration, complained that the international community was not doing enough to pressure Armenia, which invaded Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent territory in a war following the collapse of the Soviet Union, to take steps for peace. International mediators of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), comprising representatives from the US, Russia and France, have been working for almost two decades now to find a negotiated solution, but their efforts have not produced a concrete result yet.

Mehdiyev, speaking to editors-in-chief of television news programs and newspapers in İstanbul after two days of talks with Turkish officials in Ankara, said the Minsk Group’s efforts have not brought about any outcome and that the group was not doing what is needed to be done.

“Nobody tells Armenia, ‘You have invaded these lands; you must withdraw.’ Why should Azerbaijan give up on its own lands?” Mehdiyev asked. “Azerbaijan has committed itself to resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute peacefully. But we may bring to the table other options, including military measures, in the future if this method fails to produce an outcome. Our patience is wearing thin,” he continued.

Turkey, a close ethnic and regional ally of Azerbaijan, signed protocols with neighboring Armenia to restore bilateral ties and open the border, but Parliament is unlikely to ratify the documents unless there is concrete progress in resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. Ankara closed the border and severed its diplomatic ties with Yerevan in 1993 to protest the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent territory. Azerbaijan has protested the protocols and said the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border without progress on Karabakh would be detrimental to efforts for peace in the South Caucasus.

Ramiz Mehdiyev met with editors-in-chief of Turkish newspapers and television programs at İstanbul’s Çırağan Kempinski Hotel.

On Friday, Mehdiyev said the signing of the protocols cannot harm Azerbaijani-Turkish relations because they are two “brother nations.” He dismissed suggestions that Turkey signing the documents could be seen as a “betrayal” of Azerbaijan and asserted that the tensions that emerged in Baku-Ankara ties over the protocols were now a matter of the past.

He also said the Turkish officials he had met in Ankara reaffirmed that the Turkish-Armenian border would not be opened before the Karabakh problem is solved. Turkey closed its border because of Nagorno-Karabakh, and it will not be reopened unless the occupation of the territory is ended, he said.

Mehdiyev had talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Şahin and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu during his three-day visit. He described the meetings as “extremely useful” at the meeting with media representatives.

The Azerbaijani official also underlined that Russia has recently stepped up its efforts for a settlement. He called on the Russian administration, which he said is the main supporter of Armenia in the Caucasus, to adopt a clearer and more sincere attitude to help peace efforts.

As for the United States, he said Washington is also backing Armenia. “Armenia would have withdrawn from Nagorno-Karabakh by now had it not been receiving support from other countries,” Mehdiyev said. He said helping a solution in the Caucasus is a responsibility for all Western countries, not only for those in the Minsk Group, but lamented that the Western states continue to “pat Armenia on the head.”

Mehdiyev also lauded the progress his own country has achieved in improving its economy and democracy, saying Azerbaijan has carried out major reforms in both areas in recent years, while also strengthening its military. “Azerbaijan is aspiring to become a leading country in its region maintaining Western standards” to achieve a goal set first by former President Heydar Aliyev and now pursued by President İlham Aliyev.

The Azerbaijani economy has kept up its dynamism despite the global financial crisis, Mehdiyev said, noting that the economy grew by 9.3 percent in 2009. He also praised relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey and promised that the two countries will soon take the necessary steps for visa liberalization. Ankara and Baku are working to abolish visa requirements for their nationals, but a final agreement to that effect has not yet been signed.