Media worried by border opening plans
Azerbaijan`s leading media outlets have voiced deep
concern over the reports regarding Turkey`s plans to open its
border and establish ties with Armenia, a nation hostile to
Azerbaijan.
Aflatun Amashov, the chairman of Azerbaijan`s media watchdog Press Council, told a meeting aiming to discuss related issues that opening of the border at this point would cause exacerbation of tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Amashov said the measure would complicate the liberation of Azerbaijan`s territories currently under Armenian occupation and the return of Azerbaijani refugees displaced during the armed conflict to their homes, as well as adversely affect ongoing talks on settling the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.
"Restoration of relations and forging of diplomatic ties between Turkey and Armenia in the current conditions would be a hasty step," Amashov said.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds and the border between the two countries has been closed since 1993 on Ankara`s insistence due to Armenia`s policy of occupation of Azerbaijani territory and its genocide claims. Yerevan is failing both to end occupation and to relinquish its territorial claims against Turkey, as well as continues propagating the alleged genocide all over the world.
The Azerbaijani media representatives said in their remarks that rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia would be beneficial only for the latter. They charged that the move would essentially be tantamount to justification of Armenia`s policy of occupation and would only encourage the hostile nation to develop new occupation plans.
The speakers noted that restoring ties with Armenia stemmed from the position of Turkey`s government, not the Turkish public, saying the policy being pursued by the country`s incumbent authorities runs counter to the interests of the Azerbaijani and Turkish people.
The journalists also emphasized that Azerbaijan`s pro-government and opposition parties and media should be united and adhere to the same stance on the issue.
The media representatives forwarded an appeal to their Turkish counterparts saying the Azerbaijani community is worried by the news about the expected opening of the Turkish-Armenian border and the establishment of diplomatic and economic ties between Ankara and Yerevan. It said that while forging ties with other countries is a sovereign right of any independent state, it is premature to consider establishing full-fledged and constructive relations with Armenia, which has been persistently leveling groundless claims against both Turkey and Azerbaijan and keeping part of Azerbaijani land under occupation for nearly two decades.
"Turkey had these very factors in mind when it shut its border with Armenia in 1993," the appeal said. "As a sign of respect for its brotherhood with Azerbaijan and taking as a basis the occupation of 20% of our land and the pursuit of a policy of ethnic cleansing against the Azerbaijani people, Ankara froze its relations with Armenia. And now, forging comprehensive ties with Armenia, which is disregarding those conditions, the UN resolutions on unconditional withdrawal [of its armed forces] from Azerbaijan`s occupied territories, as well as the demands of such organizations as the OSCE and the Council of Europe, contradicts common interests."
The Azerbaijani journalists thereby urged their Turkish counterparts to ensure that justice prevails by warding off an imminent threat to the materialization of the "one nation, two states" idea.
The appeal, co-signed by 56 media leaders, will be sent to all Turkish media outlets and posted on the Web. The document was submitted to the Turkish embassy in Baku on Tuesday.
Armenia and Azerbaijan waged a war in the early 1990s, which claimed some 30,000 lives and displaced about a million Azerbaijanis. Armenia has been occupying part of Azerbaijan`s internationally-recognized territory since then. The ceasefire accord was signed in 1994, but Armenian armed forces have been persistently breaching ceasefire on the frontline.
Aflatun Amashov, the chairman of Azerbaijan`s media watchdog Press Council, told a meeting aiming to discuss related issues that opening of the border at this point would cause exacerbation of tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Amashov said the measure would complicate the liberation of Azerbaijan`s territories currently under Armenian occupation and the return of Azerbaijani refugees displaced during the armed conflict to their homes, as well as adversely affect ongoing talks on settling the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.
"Restoration of relations and forging of diplomatic ties between Turkey and Armenia in the current conditions would be a hasty step," Amashov said.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds and the border between the two countries has been closed since 1993 on Ankara`s insistence due to Armenia`s policy of occupation of Azerbaijani territory and its genocide claims. Yerevan is failing both to end occupation and to relinquish its territorial claims against Turkey, as well as continues propagating the alleged genocide all over the world.
The Azerbaijani media representatives said in their remarks that rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia would be beneficial only for the latter. They charged that the move would essentially be tantamount to justification of Armenia`s policy of occupation and would only encourage the hostile nation to develop new occupation plans.
The speakers noted that restoring ties with Armenia stemmed from the position of Turkey`s government, not the Turkish public, saying the policy being pursued by the country`s incumbent authorities runs counter to the interests of the Azerbaijani and Turkish people.
The journalists also emphasized that Azerbaijan`s pro-government and opposition parties and media should be united and adhere to the same stance on the issue.
The media representatives forwarded an appeal to their Turkish counterparts saying the Azerbaijani community is worried by the news about the expected opening of the Turkish-Armenian border and the establishment of diplomatic and economic ties between Ankara and Yerevan. It said that while forging ties with other countries is a sovereign right of any independent state, it is premature to consider establishing full-fledged and constructive relations with Armenia, which has been persistently leveling groundless claims against both Turkey and Azerbaijan and keeping part of Azerbaijani land under occupation for nearly two decades.
"Turkey had these very factors in mind when it shut its border with Armenia in 1993," the appeal said. "As a sign of respect for its brotherhood with Azerbaijan and taking as a basis the occupation of 20% of our land and the pursuit of a policy of ethnic cleansing against the Azerbaijani people, Ankara froze its relations with Armenia. And now, forging comprehensive ties with Armenia, which is disregarding those conditions, the UN resolutions on unconditional withdrawal [of its armed forces] from Azerbaijan`s occupied territories, as well as the demands of such organizations as the OSCE and the Council of Europe, contradicts common interests."
The Azerbaijani journalists thereby urged their Turkish counterparts to ensure that justice prevails by warding off an imminent threat to the materialization of the "one nation, two states" idea.
The appeal, co-signed by 56 media leaders, will be sent to all Turkish media outlets and posted on the Web. The document was submitted to the Turkish embassy in Baku on Tuesday.
Armenia and Azerbaijan waged a war in the early 1990s, which claimed some 30,000 lives and displaced about a million Azerbaijanis. Armenia has been occupying part of Azerbaijan`s internationally-recognized territory since then. The ceasefire accord was signed in 1994, but Armenian armed forces have been persistently breaching ceasefire on the frontline.
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