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Verbal duel occurred between Azerbaijani diplomat and Armenians in conference held in Turkey

09 December 2010 14:47 (UTC +04:00)

The Center for International Strategic Research - USAK hosted a workshop in cooperation with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung for Turkey titled â€œThe Turkish Armenian Relations: One Year after the Protocolsâ€.

Though Azerbaijani embassy was not invited to this meeting, representative of our embassy Elsever Salmanov participated in the conference and responded accusations addressed to our country.

A number of experts and researchers from Armenia, Turkey and Germany, as well as representatives of diplomatic corps accredited in Ankara attended the conference.

Jan Senkyr, Resident Representative of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung for Turkey; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedat Laciner, General Coordinator of USAK; and Retired Ambassador Ã–mer Engin LÃ¼tem made the opening speeches. They emphasized the importance of this meeting as Turkish-Armenian relations were in a â€œfreezing zoneâ€ at the moment following the â€œsoccer diplomacyâ€ of 2008 that seemed in the beginning to normalize the relations between the two countries in long term.

The first speech of the workshop was given by Alexander Iskandaryan, Director of the Caucasus Institute, titled â€œThe Current Status of Armenia-Turkey Relations: A View from Armenia". Iskandaryan outlined the incentives for both sides to keep on with the dialogue. He said that no expression related to Karabakh problem was in the protocols signed between Turkey and Armenia: Turkish opinion on maintenance of stability in the region is very irrelevantâ€.
Dr. Artak Shakaryan, Turkey Program Manager of the Eurasia Partnership Foundation criticized Azerbaijani governmentâ€™s policy toward solution of Karabakh protocol: â€œToday, if we connect normalization process of Armenian-Turkish relations with Karabakh problem, then we will wait till the endâ€.

Representative of Azerbaijani embassy protested those speeches and conference: â€œIt is very early to organize such conferences. You must be sure that today Armenian administration does not serve the interest of Armenian society and causes isolation of its country in the region. I do not believe that people living in hard economic conditions in Armenia support Armenian aggressive policy against Azerbaijan. Unlike Armenian government, government of Azerbaijan serves the interests of its people. Azerbaijan develops day-by-day. Everyone says it â€“ our friends and enemiesâ€.

Thereupon, Prof. Dr. Sedat Laciner, General Coordinator of USAK spoke about Azerbaijan: â€œLast month I visited Azerbaijan. I could not recognize Baku. Baku does not differ from any other European countries. Azerbaijan achieved this richness by regional projects. As long as Armenia continues this policy, it will stay out of the regional projects. My practice show me that time is on the side of the strong. It may be better, if all regional states gather and discuss mutual opportunities of beneficial cooperation. Azerbaijan-Turkey relations remind me relations between two brothersâ€.