Turkey Office of Heydar Aliyev Foundation holds international conference in Bursa on Security in South Caucasus and Turkey-Azerbaijan Relationship

Turkey Office of Heydar Aliyev Foundation holds international conference ‘Reassessment of Security in South Caucasus and Turkey-Azerbaijan Relationship’ along with Uludagh University based in Bursa, Turkey.

Opening the Conference, Head of Turkey Office of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Samir Jafarov noted the significance of participation of diplomats, scholars and political scientists from different countries in the Conference and necessity of such discussions for strengthening the role of NGOs to establish peace and stability in South Caucasus. He underlined Armenia, which plays a destructive role in South Caucasus, has groundless territorial claims against Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Azerbaijani and Turkish youth grow up in the spirit of humanism and respect to universal values, while their coevals in Armenia are suggested hatred to neighbor nations. Using the lands of Azerbaijan it has occupied as a tool of domestic policy, Armenia has become an outpost of Moscow, as the Russian foreign minister said.    

Professor of U.S. Kentucky University, former ambassador Carey Cavanaugh stressed after the collapse of Soviet Union, Turkey’s influence and role in South Caucasus increased. Turkey and Azerbaijan, which are ‘one nation, two states’, as genius politician Heydar Aliyev said, rose their economy and influence by accomplishing important projects such as BTC, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars. Comparing these relations with close ties between the US and England, the diplomat said Azerbaijan can always rely on Turkey, and Ankara, in its turn, can take more active part in the resolution of the Daghlig Garabagh problem.

Emphasizing the determination of national leader Heydar Aliyev in the peace talks held in Key West, USA, in March-April 2001 over the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Daghlig Garabagh conflict, K.Cavanaugh said his basic policy was peace. He noted thanks to the Heydar Aliyev policy Azerbaijan guaranteed its existence as a state. Azerbaijan, defence budget of which has left state budget of Armenia behind, continues negotiations for the peaceful solution of the conflict. These funds can be used for development, if peace and stability in the region is restored.       

Deputy Governor of Bursa Vedat Muftuoghlu, Uludagh University’s Rector, Professor Kamil Dilek, Dean of the University’s International Relations Chair, Professor Tayyar Ary and Counselor at the Azerbaijan Embassy to Turkey Ruslan Abdullayev talked of development of relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan. They said security of brotherly Azerbaijan is Turkey’s security. If the occupation of Daghlig Garabagh and adjoining districts is not terminated, any normalization with Armenia is impossible.

The Conference featured discussions on ‘Security in South Caucasus’. Deputy Director of the Geostrategic Studies Centre of the State Administration Academy under the President of Azerbaijan, political scientist Elman Nasirov, Chief Coordinator of Eurasia Strategic Studies Centre Seyfeddin Erol, Professor of the US North Dakota University Tomas Ambrosio, Director of Business Management Academy of Georgia, Professor Kakhaber Eradze made reports. They analyzed the danger caused by Armenia’s state terror policy to the regional peace and stability, Turkey’s role in the settlement of the Daghlig Garabagh problem, Khojaly genocide in the framework of international law, the role of global powers in security in South Caucasus, economic cooperation in the region and transnational projects implemented.  

The Conference will be continued on May 17.