Turkish PM: Azerbaijan, Turkey most developing countries in region
By Aynur Karimova
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has named Turkey and Azerbaijan the most developing countries in the region.
While speaking at ADA University in Baku on December 4, Davutoglu said that Azerbaijan and Turkey are leading countries in the Eurasian region.
“Turkey and Azerbaijan have always supported and will continue to support each other,” he said, adding that today, the two countries implement important energy projects, such as TANAP [Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline].
The Turkish PM reminded that at the time when Europe was thinking about implementation of Nabucco project, Azerbaijan and Turkey started to implement the TANAP project which is proceeding successfully.
He expressed confidence that TANAP will change the region’s energy map.
TANAP envisages the transportation of gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field on the Georgian-Turkish border to the western borders of Turkey. TANAP’s initial capacity is expected to reach 16 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Some six billion cubic meters of this gas will be delivered to Turkey and the rest will go to Europe.
TANAP’s shareholder list will be as follows: SOCAR, 58 percent; Botas, 30 percent; and BP, 12 percent. The capital costs of the TANAP project are expected to stand at $9.5 billion.
Davutoglu believes that all projects being implemented by Azerbaijan and Turkey are aimed at ensuring peace and development in the region.
"Turkey wants to see the Caspian Sea region as an energy center, a center of stability and Ankara’s policy won’t change in this issue," he said.
Touching upon the importance of constructing the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, Turkey’s PM noted that this railway that will link Europe with Asia is also significant for Turkey.
Davutoglu further urged Armenia to liberate the territories not belonging to it. He also said Turkey will remain by Azerbaijan’s side in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict until the very end.
“Turkey will be by Azerbaijan’s side until a complete liberation of Azerbaijani territories. Each inch of Azerbaijan’s land is dear, and those lands should be liberated,” he noted.
Davutoglu said that if Armenia withdraws from Azerbaijan’s occupied lands, it will be able to join the energy projects.
"It is necessary to completely liberate Azerbaijan’s occupied lands to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and establish peace in the region," he said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Touching upon the recent crisis in ties between Turkey and Russia, Davutoglu stated that Turkey has always attached importance to the relations with Russia, and there are no and won’t be problems between Turkish and Russian people.
He also urged Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to resolve the Ankara-Moscow crisis through diplomatic means.
"No one should expect apologizes from Turkey over the incident with Russian plane," he said.
Turkish Air Force jets shot down the Russian SU-24 bomber after it entered Turkish airspace on November 24. Both pilots managed to eject and the plane crashed on Syrian territory.
Relations between Russia and Turkey have deteriorated after the incident.
Davutoglu pointed out that Russia’s accusations against Turkey that allegedly it stabbed Moscow in back, are groundless.
"Turkey can also state that by violating its airspace, Russia stabbed Ankara in chest," said the prime minister. "Turkey is confident that this crisis can be resolved through talks."
Davutoglu noted that when other countries imposed sanctions on Russia, Turkey didn’t join them.
“Russian sanctions against Turkey won’t knock our country down,” he said, adding that instead of imposing sanctions against Turkey, Moscow should open diplomatic channels to resolve this crisis.
“We haven’t shot down the Russian plane over Syria’s territory,” said the prime minister. “The plane was shot over Turkey’s territory. Moreover, there were no insignia on it.”
After Russian air force violated Turkey’s airspace in October, Ankara warned Moscow about inadmissibility of repeating such actions, he said.
Turkey respects the principle of inviolability of other states’ borders and other countries should also respect the principle of inviolability of Turkey’s borders, Davutoglu said.
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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova
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