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Ïðàî Âûáîðà, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
Feb 16 2007
"Echo": Stop Flights to Armenia and Deport 70,000 its residents
16.02.2007
A Member of the Great National Assembly of Turkey Shukru Elekdag
offered
Stop flights between Turkey and Armenia, cease "indirect trade" and
deport 70,000 undocumented Armenians from Turkey, in exclusive
interview with APA called Member of the Great National Assembly of
Turkey from Popular-Republic Party and former Turkish Ambassador to
the United States Shukru Elekdag. He urged to make such arrangement
in return to ongoing attempts to push a Resolution on recognition of
"Armenian genocide" through the U.S. Congress. He said that the
Turkish Government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a mistake in
this aspect. "Before Armenian diaspora to the U.S. is said to be
strong and controls of all drafts. But today there is nothing of the
kind. When Armenia got independence, foreign policy and diaspora
administration is carried out by Yerevan. The conductor and corrector
of this work is the Ambassador of Armenia to Washington. Because of
that we have to review our policy in respect to Armenia. No Turk
accepts cats-and-mouse game between Turkey and Armenia. Under
pressure of the United States and European Union we changed a policy
in respect to Armenia. After Azerbaijani lands occupation, Turkey
placed an embargo on Armenia. It pressed on Armenia strongly, but
under the pressure of the United States and European Union Turkey
softened embargo. What's in result? In Istanbul airport six airplanes
from Armenia that cause damage to Turkey's image land a week.
Armenian entrants to Istanbul exist at the expense of "shuttle-trade"
- they need it greatly. Turkish foodstuffs are imported to Armenia
through Iran and Georgia. 70,000 undocumented Armenian citizens live
in Turkish territory. Turkey should exert necessary pressure upon
Armenia to prevent the adoption of the Resolution on recognition of
"Armenian genocide"; first of all, it should stop flights and
indirect export to Armenia, and deport 70,000 its residents. Armenia
should understand that if it conducts anti-Turkish policy, it will
return a hundredfold." Shukru Elekdag called Turkish Government's
present policy as "mistaken".
Indeed, Turkish Prime-Minister Receb Tayyib Erdogan permanently
underlines that Armenian-Turkish frontier will be opened unless
Armenia stops the occupation of Azerbaijani lands and lobbying
"Armenian resolutions" in third countries' parliaments. At the same
time within its "European policy" Erdogan's Government made serious
compromises to EU indeed, including "Armenian issue" that was
perceived ambiguously at the minimum. Today EU enlargement officially
is frozen, but Armenian lobbyists in many countries, first of all, in
France launch to attack: that was regarded as a broad gesture and a
step to reconciliation in Turkey, the Armenian circles seemed to
appraise it as a sign of weakness or fear with all consequences.
In theory, of course, behind statement of Shukru Elekdag elected to
the Parliament from PRP, can be seen "internal political" reason: the
ruling party's foreign policy today is being critiqued sharply on all
directions, first of all, in Iraq and European policy, but excessive
soft policy in respect to Armenia is an accusation that can be turned
out to be painful for party, which the main electorate are moderate
Islamists. In Turkey where voting in the National Assembly of France
for the draft law considering the criminal responsibility for denial
of "genocide" is not forgotten yet, they are keeping up constrainedly
the developments in the U.S. Congress, Elekdag's proposal cannot be
remained without consequences, in theory: the authorities are hardly
to ignore it.
In addition, Shukru Elekdag urged to break-up relations with Armenia
soon after the start of Gars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi project, which,
according to many observers, influenced significantly on alignment of
forces in Gars. Recently Armenia intended seriously to maintain
contact with Turkey behind Azerbaijan's back, including at the
expense of "commercial lobby's" efforts in Gars. They were looking
enviously on the Black Sea coast that shop-tours from the USSR turned
to one of the more dynamics developing regions of the world and were
making plans for use of their own borders. Now railway project start
opens new horizons before Gar's businessmen that cannot but decrease
commercial interest with all consequences to Armenia in theory.
Democratic Azerbaijan
Feb 16 2007
"Echo": Stop Flights to Armenia and Deport 70,000 its residents
16.02.2007
A Member of the Great National Assembly of Turkey Shukru Elekdag
offered
Stop flights between Turkey and Armenia, cease "indirect trade" and
deport 70,000 undocumented Armenians from Turkey, in exclusive
interview with APA called Member of the Great National Assembly of
Turkey from Popular-Republic Party and former Turkish Ambassador to
the United States Shukru Elekdag. He urged to make such arrangement
in return to ongoing attempts to push a Resolution on recognition of
"Armenian genocide" through the U.S. Congress. He said that the
Turkish Government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a mistake in
this aspect. "Before Armenian diaspora to the U.S. is said to be
strong and controls of all drafts. But today there is nothing of the
kind. When Armenia got independence, foreign policy and diaspora
administration is carried out by Yerevan. The conductor and corrector
of this work is the Ambassador of Armenia to Washington. Because of
that we have to review our policy in respect to Armenia. No Turk
accepts cats-and-mouse game between Turkey and Armenia. Under
pressure of the United States and European Union we changed a policy
in respect to Armenia. After Azerbaijani lands occupation, Turkey
placed an embargo on Armenia. It pressed on Armenia strongly, but
under the pressure of the United States and European Union Turkey
softened embargo. What's in result? In Istanbul airport six airplanes
from Armenia that cause damage to Turkey's image land a week.
Armenian entrants to Istanbul exist at the expense of "shuttle-trade"
- they need it greatly. Turkish foodstuffs are imported to Armenia
through Iran and Georgia. 70,000 undocumented Armenian citizens live
in Turkish territory. Turkey should exert necessary pressure upon
Armenia to prevent the adoption of the Resolution on recognition of
"Armenian genocide"; first of all, it should stop flights and
indirect export to Armenia, and deport 70,000 its residents. Armenia
should understand that if it conducts anti-Turkish policy, it will
return a hundredfold." Shukru Elekdag called Turkish Government's
present policy as "mistaken".
Indeed, Turkish Prime-Minister Receb Tayyib Erdogan permanently
underlines that Armenian-Turkish frontier will be opened unless
Armenia stops the occupation of Azerbaijani lands and lobbying
"Armenian resolutions" in third countries' parliaments. At the same
time within its "European policy" Erdogan's Government made serious
compromises to EU indeed, including "Armenian issue" that was
perceived ambiguously at the minimum. Today EU enlargement officially
is frozen, but Armenian lobbyists in many countries, first of all, in
France launch to attack: that was regarded as a broad gesture and a
step to reconciliation in Turkey, the Armenian circles seemed to
appraise it as a sign of weakness or fear with all consequences.
In theory, of course, behind statement of Shukru Elekdag elected to
the Parliament from PRP, can be seen "internal political" reason: the
ruling party's foreign policy today is being critiqued sharply on all
directions, first of all, in Iraq and European policy, but excessive
soft policy in respect to Armenia is an accusation that can be turned
out to be painful for party, which the main electorate are moderate
Islamists. In Turkey where voting in the National Assembly of France
for the draft law considering the criminal responsibility for denial
of "genocide" is not forgotten yet, they are keeping up constrainedly
the developments in the U.S. Congress, Elekdag's proposal cannot be
remained without consequences, in theory: the authorities are hardly
to ignore it.
In addition, Shukru Elekdag urged to break-up relations with Armenia
soon after the start of Gars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi project, which,
according to many observers, influenced significantly on alignment of
forces in Gars. Recently Armenia intended seriously to maintain
contact with Turkey behind Azerbaijan's back, including at the
expense of "commercial lobby's" efforts in Gars. They were looking
enviously on the Black Sea coast that shop-tours from the USSR turned
to one of the more dynamics developing regions of the world and were
making plans for use of their own borders. Now railway project start
opens new horizons before Gar's businessmen that cannot but decrease
commercial interest with all consequences to Armenia in theory.