Head of Israel-Azerbaijan International Association: Armenia-Turkey border less likely to open

Day.Az: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently had a formal meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama. He also debated conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. In your opinion, will the borders open soon?

Joseph Shagal: I believe the warming of Turkish-Armenian relations and settlement of the Karabakh problem are interrelated. They should be linked. There  are different views on this issue. My opinion is that the Armenian-Turkish border is unlikely to open before resolution of the Karabakh conflict sees a progress.

What do you think about ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols in the Turkish parliament? Why this process is stalled?

Whatever happens between Baku and Ankara, they are strategic partners and ethnically close nations. This is a relationship which cannot be called into question. So, when Turkey acts as a "peacemaker" in the region, it is assumed that whatever steps Turkey takes, it will take into account Azerbaijan’s interests.

I believe vast majority of Turkish MPs share this view. Maybe, signing of the protocols is inhibited by the fact that once they are signed, the borders will be open immediately and those MPs who link opening of borders with the settlementof the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict want to make sure that Azerbaijan’s national interests will not be harmed and only in this case to move closer to Armenia. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees in this case. It's very difficult to say what will happen next.  

I have said many times (at the start of the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement) that if Turkey could improve its relations with Armenia without detriment to Azerbaijan’s interests on the Karabakh problem, it will be a great victory of Turkish diplomacy. This has not happened yet. I hope this will happen precisely in such a scenario.

Armenian media says Sargsyan has ordered to  amend the Constitution so that Armenia will have a right to withdraw its signatures from under the international documents. To what extent Armenia is likely to recall its signatures from the Turkey-Armenia protocols?

A lot people oppose linking the Karabakh problem with the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement in Armenia. Hence the statements of prominent politicians and political analysts, who say "why all this is tied in one knot?"

Let's just say, what happens in the Turkish Parliament with the plus sign occurs in the Armenian parliament with a minus sign. The Armenian side does not want to link these two processes.

Azerbaijan’s policy in this situation is very clear. Azerbaijan expresses its position very clearly. In my opinion, Azerbaijan would welcome warming of relations between Armenia and Turkey, if only it does no harm to country’s national interests. But policies of Turkey and Armenia are not unambiguous.

The U.S. Congress is going to allocate $8 million for the Karabakh separatists? What are your views on this issue?

Well, allocation of these funds does not mean recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as a sovereign state. In my opinion, this is a purely humanitarian mission. I think this amount is not so large to get concerned over it.

The U.S. Congress has already expressed its views on this issue, and they all share Azerbaijan’s position on settling the Karabakh problem and determining status of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. I think the funds have been allocated for Karabakh for purely humanitarian reasons. I do not see any far-reaching conclusions behind this decision.

It was reported earlier that Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman will visit Azerbaijan. Do you think the issue of opening Azerbaijani embassy in Israel will be raised during the visit?

I know that the visit is planned. Certainly, opening Azerbaijani embassy in Israel is constantly on agenda in the context of bilateral relations between Israel and Azerbaijan.  

We have repeatedly said that this decision would be correct. The dialogue on this topic continues. Mr. Lieberman treats the bilateral relations between Israel and Azerbaijan with high accuracy. I think the visit will certainly take place in the coming year.

T. Teymur