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ANKARA: Top Azeri envoy on way to Ankara

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  • ANKARA: Top Azeri envoy on way to Ankara

    Hürriyet, Turkey
    May 2 2009


    Top Azeri envoy on way to Ankara

    ISTANBUL -Azerbaijani President Ä°lham Aliyev wants to send an
    envoy to Turkey to improve relations that have been strained by
    ongoing reconciliation talks between the Turkish government and Baku's
    arch-foe Armenia.

    Well-informed sources have told the Hürriyet Daily News &
    Economic Review that President Aliyev, though upset by developments in
    Turkish-Armenian relations, has signaled that he is seeking to
    reinvigorate Azerbaijan's relations with Ankara and is hoping to have
    a greater say in any further progress made toward opening the border
    between Turkey and Armenia.

    Turkey and Armenia said late last month they agreed on a road map to
    normalize relations, which in turn upset Azerbaijan, with whom Turkey
    has fraternal ties.

    The polemic over whether Turkey informed Azerbaijan on the content of
    talks with Armenia was carried to diplomatic platforms during Aliyev's
    visit to Brussels. At a NATO council meeting where the
    Turkish-Armenian reconciliation process was discussed, Turkish
    Ambassador Tacan Ä°ldem said Turkey informed Azerbaijan of the
    talks with Armenia. Aliyev's reply was like a splash of cold water:
    "Informing is one thing, consulting is another."

    The incident is significant because the two country's representatives
    never enter into a polemic in front of third parties and to the
    contrary they rather cooperate closely on international
    platforms. "One nation, two states," is the motto often used to
    describe the warm relationship between Turkey and Azerbaijan.

    Although Aliyev has not been shy so far in showing his reaction, he
    also started signaling he wants to put relations back on track. "Now
    that the 24th of April is over, let's start our consultations," is the
    gist of the message Aliyev has sent to Ankara. April 24 is the day
    Armenians commemorate the events of 1915 each year. Aliyev is planning
    to send a high-level envoy to Turkey to discuss the "road map" and on
    how to proceed from now on, according to a Turkish official who asked
    to remain anonymous.

    Azerbaijan wants a strong link between a solution to the
    Nagorno-Karabakh problem and the normalization process, which includes
    establishing diplomatic relations as well as opening borders. Turkey
    closed its border with Armenia in 1993 when Armenian troops moved to
    occupy seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh.

    Azerbaijan believes Armenians should first withdraw from five of the
    seven territories before Turkey goes ahead with opening the
    border. The faith of the two remaining regions, the Lachin corridor
    and Kelbecer, is also important for Baku. Partial withdrawal from the
    Lachin corridor as well as joint use of the corridor by Turkey and
    Azerbaijan should also be preconditions, according to Azerbaijan.

    Armenia does not want to withdraw from the regions before there is an
    agreement on the overall principles of the problem. Armenian and
    Azerbaijani leaders are set to meet May 7 in Prague.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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