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â€œFlag crisisâ€: Azerbaijan confirms that it considers Turkey its strategic partner - ANALYSIS

â€œFlag crisisâ€: Azerbaijan confirms that it considers Turkey its strategic partner - <font color=red>ANALYSIS</font>

28 October 2009 10:47 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Vugar Masimoglu â€“ APA. â€œFlag crisisâ€ between Azerbaijan and Turkey has ended. After it was promised that the persons, who insulted Azerbaijanâ€™s flags in Bursa, would be punished, Azerbaijan made a sportive gesture. The flags of the two countries have been flying at Turkish Martyrsâ€™ Lane since yesterday. The past crisis showed that Azerbaijan and Turkey have no alternative to the policy based on the mutual interests. So, the processes between the two states, which are the main players of the ongoing political processes in the region, have reached a new stage. The new stage requires that Azerbaijan and Turkey should take MUTUAL INTERESTS into account in the local, regional and international policy. Otherwise, frequent crises between the two countries will be inevitable. Immediate positive reaction of official Ankara to President Ilham Aliyevâ€™s statement that Azerbaijanâ€™s selling gas to Turkey at low price is illogical, showed that the opposite side had begun to attach importance to the mutual interests in the interstate relations. Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildizâ€™s statement â€œTurkey will pay difference in price for the natural gas bought from Azerbaijanâ€ also proves it.

But under the present circumstances, the result has not changed â€“ raising the flags at Turkish Martyrsâ€™ Lane again shows that Azerbaijan considers Turkey its STRATEGIC PARTNER and has not given up this course.

Positive reaction of official Baku to Turkeyâ€™s punishing those who disrespected Azerbaijani flag and the step taken as an exception to the law on â€œUsage of the flags of foreign states and international organizations in Azerbaijan Republicâ€ once more confirmed how much importance Baku attaches to the strategic partnership.

Since Azerbaijan regarded Turkish flag as the flag and pride of the friendly and brotherly state, not as the flag of a foreign state, it was allowed to raise Turkish flag again in the status similar to the Azerbaijani flag.

Indeed there was a message to express confidence in joint actions RESPECTING EQUAL RIGHTS AND MUTUAL INTERESTS in the region.

The final result of the process is that Azerbaijan doesnâ€™t step down from its policy toward Turkey, shows loyalty to the Turkic ideas, proves that it takes the interests of TURKEY AND TURKISH NATION into consideration and of course, Baku is also expecting similar political course from the opposite site.

What realities did â€œflag crisisâ€ make clear?

a) The developments proved once again itâ€™s impossible to change status-quo in the region at the expense of Azerbaijanâ€™s interests. Turkey must take the Azerbaijanâ€™s interests into consideration in its policy. Ankara must do that because not only the importance of meeting mutual interests between the partner countries, but also for sharp public reaction to its wrong policy toward Azerbaijan.
b) Azerbaijan doesnâ€™t intend to change strategic partnership level of its policy toward Turkey, but in contrary, not only Baku, but Turkish public community also intends to level up this partnership higher.
c) Desirable status-quo change in the region can be reached only through closer rapprochement between Azerbaijan and Turkey.
d) At last making the â€œflag crisisâ€ final, Azerbaijan confirmed its loyalty to the idea of Turkic union once again and could only dispel the wrong public opinion formed in Turkey about the country.

It is necessary to take one factor into consideration â€“ Azerbaijan played main role in the ending of crisis stimulated by Turkey. The methods used for reaching this point could be accepted not univocally, but if there was not a strong reaction from Azerbaijan to the relations down to insult of Azerbaijani flags and if this attitude was not supported by the Turkish community, Ankara wouldnâ€™t make efforts to return the relationship to its previous level. The reality is that â€“ Azerbaijan and Turkey must see each other as EQUAL partners, but not as â€œelder-younger brothersâ€ that not to repeat mistakes in the intergovernmental relations. /APA-Analytics/