SETA’s Azerbaijan initiative in İstanbul (1)

The Turkey-Azerbaijan relations workshop, in which political and economic relations between the two countries, the role of Turkey and Azerbaijan in the Caucasus' security, and the role of universities and non-governmental organizations in relations between the two countries were discussed, was closed to the press and held in accordance with Chatham House rules.

While representatives from both countries indicated that they adhered to the “one nation, two state” perception, they underlined that it was necessary to give depth to the slogan in order to be able to build a common future together. Participants said that future workshops need to focus on the question of “what needs to be done” in order to build a common future. A roadmap on how to switch from friendship and brotherhood to strategic partnership needs to be drawn out.

There are linguistic, religious and ethnic ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan, but Azerbaijan also has the same ties with Asian countries. Azerbaijan has coexisted with people in Central Asia with Turkish roots for nearly 200 years (through the Russian Tsardom and the Soviet Union) under the same state, sharing the same cultural, political and economic life. Despite sharing so many commonalities, Azerbaijani people have a more deeply rooted sympathy and love toward Turkey than toward the Turkic peoples of Central Asia. What is the reason for Turkey's deep love toward Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan's deep love toward Turkey?

Intellectual movement between the two countries in the 19th and 20th centuries, the interaction of intellectual thoughts, the quest for strategic partnership in the early 20th century, the liberation of Azerbaijan and Baku by the Ottoman state in 1918, Azerbaijan's financial support and volunteer military support for Turkey's War of Independence in 1921, Turkey's safe haven for Azerbaijani opponents during Russian Tsardom and the Soviet Union and Turkey's quick and free political, economic, militaristic and cultural consultation with Azerbaijan after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 are representative of the events that have facilitated the affection between the two countries.

However, a common strategic future has not been built on this deep love between the two countries in the 21st century. Taking each other for granted, the countries haven't felt the need to build a future together. Activities between businessmen and high-level political meetings between presidents, prime ministers and state ministers were deemed sufficient as long as they adhered to the “one nation, two states” slogan. Considering the deep love between the two countries, why haven't relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan reached the level of relations between Turkey and Georgia or between Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation or even between Azerbaijan and Germany? Or rather, the more important question is: How can the two countries develop their relations to that level? There are no visa requirements between Turkey and Georgia for those staying under three months. There are negotiations under way to allow citizens to travel between Turkey and Georgia with just an identification card. Visa exemptions have boosted travel between the two countries and trade along the border. Turkey signed its second-most comprehensive free trade agreement, which includes agricultural products as well, with Georgia, after Bosnia-Herzegovina.

While Turkey has removed visa requirements for Azerbaijani citizens, Azerbaijan has not and would even like to adopt a stricter visa policy. There are no visa requirements between Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation. There are customs agreements that allow goods and services to be traded freely. While relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are progressing in a more emotional dimension, Azerbaijan and Germany are carrying out political, economic and cultural ties on solid institutional foundations. The German-Azerbaijan Forum, set up in 1995 and chaired by Christian Democrat (CDU)-rooted former Economic Minister Otto Hauser, carries out successful lobbies in favor of Azerbaijan in Germany.