BAKU SUPPORTS COMPANIONS OF OJALAN
Turkish authorities have available information according to which bases of Kurdish Working Party operate in Azerbaijan.
The visit to Azerbaijan of a representative of the Turkish governing Party of Justice and Development has revealed that there are serious problems between Baku and Ankara. Judging from the statements of Rejeb Erdoghan, the Turks have started to mistrust their “younger brothers”, because “terrorist bases” of Kurdish Working Party are operating actively in Azerbaijan. The Turkish leader, in fact, accused the authorities of the neighboring country of unwillingness to counteract against the emissaries of the Kurdish Working Party, which have created a center of training of diversionary groups in Baku.
The statement made by Erdoghan during his meeting with Murtuz Aleskerov, representative of the Milli Mejlis, was not a surprise, because there was already information about the activity of the structures of the Kurdish Working Party in Baku. The oppositional press of Baku had already written that the authorities were supporting “Kurdish terrorists”. In particular, the newspaper “Eni Masavat” has brought facts proving the unwillingness of the Azerbaijani special services to neutralize the terrorist network created by Kurds. The echo of one of those publications was so significant that the Ministry of National Security was obliged to react. On July 5, 2002, the Ministry of National Security spread a document meant for denying the information about existence of KWP bases in Azerbaijan. However, it had an opposite effect.
From one hand the statement reads that “the Ministry of National Security has no information about activity of the KWP in Azerbaijan”. The leadership of the Ministry say the measures undertaken against terrorism exclude any possibility that the KWP bases could operate in Azerbaijan. At the same time, while speaking about the undertaken measures, the public relations department of the Ministry said that “during last years 33 members of KWP were arrested in Azerbaijan”. Very interesting situation, isn’t it? IF there are no members of Kurdish Working Party in Azerbaijan, how were they arrested? Commenting on the situation, the “Zerkalo” newspaper issued in Baku writes: “Denying the statements of the oppositional media about existence of KWP network in the country, the Ministry in fact confirms its existence.”
The Azerbaijani propaganda has found a very interesting explanation for the will of the Kurds to be present in Azerbaijan. (It is known that in the period between 2000 and 2001, 16 members of KWP were arrested while trying to cross the border with Iran). The Ministerial authorities have announced that Azerbaijan was a “transit zone” for the Kurds who wanted to get in Armenia. It is not explained, how they were going to cross the front line. The most important thing is that it is not understandable, why did the Kurds want to enter Azerbaijan, if Iran has a common border with Armenia.
Such strange statements of Azerbaijani special services prove that there are really bases of Kurdish Working Party on the territory of the country. The official Baku considers the party heading the national-liberation movement of Kurdish people as a terrorist organization; at the same time it does not do anything to neutralize its structures. The motives can be different. First one - the inability to show a resistance to the bases of the Kurdish Working Party. The second version, according to which the authorities support the members of the Kurdish party, seems more realistic. Creating an illusion of fighting against the participants of Kurdish movement, the Azerbaijani special services in reality do not restrict their activity, in order to have influence on Ankara. This way the official Baku emphasizes its importance before the Turkish authorities. The existence of Kurdish factor may oblige Ankara to consider the opinion of the authorities of Baku.
However, hardly the Azerbaijani special services supporting the members of the Kurdish Working Party could expect such a harsh reaction from the new Turkish authorities. Rejeb Erdoghan made it understand that he was not going to tolerate any more the “double game” played by the Baku leaders.
The tension between Ankara and Baku will hardly be removed even if the Azerbaijani authorities stop their support shown to the KWP. It will not be easy for Ankara to forget such an insult. Probably, it will continue to affect the bilateral relations.
From one hand the statement reads that “the Ministry of National Security has no information about activity of the KWP in Azerbaijan”. The leadership of the Ministry say the measures undertaken against terrorism exclude any possibility that the KWP bases could operate in Azerbaijan. At the same time, while speaking about the undertaken measures, the public relations department of the Ministry said that “during last years 33 members of KWP were arrested in Azerbaijan”. Very interesting situation, isn’t it? IF there are no members of Kurdish Working Party in Azerbaijan, how were they arrested? Commenting on the situation, the “Zerkalo” newspaper issued in Baku writes: “Denying the statements of the oppositional media about existence of KWP network in the country, the Ministry in fact confirms its existence.”
The Azerbaijani propaganda has found a very interesting explanation for the will of the Kurds to be present in Azerbaijan. (It is known that in the period between 2000 and 2001, 16 members of KWP were arrested while trying to cross the border with Iran). The Ministerial authorities have announced that Azerbaijan was a “transit zone” for the Kurds who wanted to get in Armenia. It is not explained, how they were going to cross the front line. The most important thing is that it is not understandable, why did the Kurds want to enter Azerbaijan, if Iran has a common border with Armenia.
Such strange statements of Azerbaijani special services prove that there are really bases of Kurdish Working Party on the territory of the country. The official Baku considers the party heading the national-liberation movement of Kurdish people as a terrorist organization; at the same time it does not do anything to neutralize its structures. The motives can be different. First one - the inability to show a resistance to the bases of the Kurdish Working Party. The second version, according to which the authorities support the members of the Kurdish party, seems more realistic. Creating an illusion of fighting against the participants of Kurdish movement, the Azerbaijani special services in reality do not restrict their activity, in order to have influence on Ankara. This way the official Baku emphasizes its importance before the Turkish authorities. The existence of Kurdish factor may oblige Ankara to consider the opinion of the authorities of Baku.
However, hardly the Azerbaijani special services supporting the members of the Kurdish Working Party could expect such a harsh reaction from the new Turkish authorities. Rejeb Erdoghan made it understand that he was not going to tolerate any more the “double game” played by the Baku leaders.
The tension between Ankara and Baku will hardly be removed even if the Azerbaijani authorities stop their support shown to the KWP. It will not be easy for Ankara to forget such an insult. Probably, it will continue to affect the bilateral relations.
