Nagorno Karabakh as a means to improve political image

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Georgian diplomat believes that the region has a wonderful experience of cooperation between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, implementing giant economic projects. “As an example can serve the two working pipelines (Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum); a railway is being built, which will unite Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan into a cohesive whole and will further link the Central Asia with Europe. I do not mention the smaller projects. On the other hand, the situation is very fragile as there are the occupied Georgian territories: 20% of the Georgian land is occupied by Russia, 10% of Georgian population have become refugees and forcedly displaced people in their own homes. There is the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh, i.e. the problem of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. There is also the problem of unsettled relations between Turkey and Armenia. Any of these problems may at any moment blow up the situation in the region,” the Georgian Foreign Minister said. Strangely enough, the Minister forgot about 20% of the territory of fraternal Azerbaijan and about one million refugees. Or perhaps he considered it unimportant to mention? But be that as it may, for rather a long time Georgia has been shying from side to side, unable to decide with whom it is more profitable: with the Islamic or with the Christian world.

The conflict also attracts any officials that visit Armenia and Azerbaijan. Their statements have become an ordinary mantra: territorial integrity, peaceful settlement and right of people to self-determination. Sometimes the Karabakh issue is discussed by those who cannot even show this state on the map. And even if they can, they definitely confuse it with Azerbaijan. Along with all the questions that were called forth by an article published in the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet about the alleged surrender of two regions to Azerbaijan, there was 1 most important question – “why especially Lachin and Kelbajar?” One might as well have mentioned Agdam and Fizuli, or any two other regions... The second question is why Turkey so consistently indulges the Baku agitprop, perfectly knowing that the latter is wrong by default. Islamic solidarity cannot be observed here; rather, political dividends are taken into account. And if tomorrow for the sake of improving her political image Ankara would have to support Armenia, she would do it without a second thought.

For now, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has issued a statement regarding the anticipated parliamentary elections in the Republic of Artsakh. “Official Ankara does not recognize the election to be held on May 23,” the report says. Well, let it ‘not recognize’, so what? At long last Baku will have to realize that the existence of NKR on the world map does not at all depend on her recognizing or not recognizing this republic. It is as unrealistic as the belief that one day Turkey may become an OSCE Minsk Group co-chair. By the way, this is claimed not by us, but by the Turkish side itself, which can hardly be counted among the friends of Armenia. “Turkey will never become an OSCE Minsk Group co-chair; it is just impossible. Armenia is opposed to it, and consequently this issue is off the agenda. As for the statements of the Turkish leadership on the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh, these are simply political maneuvers, without which it is difficult to build up one’s policy in the region,” declared Mitat Celikpala, Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Economics and Technology of Ankara (TOBB).