Gül says peace in Caucasus remains Turkey’s foreign policy priority

“Turkey closely monitors developments in the South Caucasus and actively contributes to building comprehensive and sustainable peace in the region. We will stress the importance Turkey attaches to stability, welfare and cooperation in the region during our meetings in Azerbaijan,” Gül told reporters ahead of his two-day visit to Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, on Monday.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız and deputies who are members of the Turkey-Azerbaijan Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group will be accompanying President Gül during his visit to oil-rich Muslim country.

Despite just an 11-kilometer long border with Azerbaijan, Turkish-Azerbaijani trade volume is being boosted thanks to joint giant energy projects and is set to surge once the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad is completed by 2012.

Gül said he will hold talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, and other high-level Azerbaijani officials to discuss bilateral relations and other issues regarding cooperation between the two Turkic states. He added that they will also have a chance to exchange views on regional and international developments.

Stressing that energy is one of the areas that has improved relations between the two countries and transformed into strategic cooperation, Gül said two energy projects are the most important sign of the cooperation in the energy sphere between the two countries.

Azerbaijan exports its oil and gas to the Western markets through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline through Georgia. Azerbaijan’s energy giant, the state-controlled State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) is also heavily investing in Turkey’s energy sector, making it the largest foreign investor in Turkey in recent years.

Along with contributing to bilateral relations between the two countries, Gül said, these two energy projects are also significant for global energy security, particularly European energy security and he said they contribute to regional welfare and stability. “We once more want to stress our goal to improve our current cooperation in this sphere,” Gül said.

President Gül also noted that they want the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad to be completed as soon as possible, improving trade relations.

The railway is expected to transport 1.5 million passengers and 3 million tons of freight per year. Forecasts predict that by 2034 it will transport 3 million people and more than 16 million tons of goods. The total cost of the project is estimated at $500 million, with $200 million covered by Azerbaijan and the remaining cost to be covered by Turkey.

Noting that they launched the foundation of the railway in Kars two years ago, the Turkish president said works are rapidly under way and that it will be completed soon.

Speaking about the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, President Gül said he will underline Turkey’s position, which considers a peaceful solution to the territorial conflict within Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. He said they will review their works with his Azerbaijani counterpart for lasting peace in the Caucasus. “We attach great importance to this,” Gül stated.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a fierce, full-scale armed conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh territory, predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians and surrounded by ethnic Azerbaijanis. A Russian-brokered cease-fire in 1994 helped stop armed clashes but deadly border skirmishes have been common in past years, leaving the frozen fragile conflict ready to resume.

Gül also spoke at a joint press conference with Aliyev in Baku later on Monday, where he said Turkey’s efforts for the establishment of comprehensive peace in the South Caucasus will continue and added that Turkey “silently yet decisively” undertakes serious works to solve frozen conflicts in the region.

Arguing that frozen conflicts could suddenly become a regional affair, the president said bold efforts need to be taken to solve long frozen conflicts.

Along with Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia is also at odds with its northern neighbor Russia over its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgia and Russia fought a four-day armed conflict in August 2008 and thanks to EU mediation then, the former Soviet Union republics struck a cease-fire deal to stop causalities.

President Gül will attend the opening of the new building of the Azer-Türk Bank -- established by Turkey’s Ziraat Bank -- and a steel factory built by a Turkish company.

Gül will then proceed to the ancient northwestern city of Sheki, where he will visit historic and cultural sites.