Rasim Aghayev: "Now we face a question whether Turkey will agree to exchange Nagorno Karabakh for Armenia's rejection of the campaign on recognition of the so-called 1915 "genocide of Armenians" in the world"

- How would you comment on conduction of secret talks on normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia by high ranking representatives of these two countries?

- These talks of the high ranking officials of Turkey and Armenia are secret for wide community, but I am sure that such meetings are not arranged spontaneously, which means that representatives of official Yerevan and Ankara new in advance about conduction of these talks.

Is the fact of these talks surprising? I think, no, for political history is full of examples of untrustworthy ally relations between the countries in the present day world. The factor of personal benefits in building political relations on the international arena. One example are talks of Americans with representatives of Fascist Germany in the very end of the World War Second, about which USSR leader Stalin was not informed.

Another case is that Turkey's this step can be assessed as erroneour. I think, it will be reasonable for Turkey to further resist efforts of the Armenian side not alone but in the tandem with Azerbaijan and the whole Turkic world. Unfortunately, we just see Turkey's readiness to separatist talks with Armenia.

- How far can Turkey go in its steps for improvement of relations with Armenia?

- Before answering this question, I want to remind you that several years ago we all witnessed resentment of President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev over the expansion of Turkish-Armenian relations. At that time a group of business people of Turkey announced that Armenia is a good and perspective market for Turkish goods and services and there is a need to normalize Turkish-Armenian relations. And only after Heydar Aliyev left for Turkey, where he met with the country's leadership and spoke before the Turkish parliamentariant, it became possible to stop such talks about possible opening of the Turkish-Armenian border, deepening of ties between Turkey and Armenia. But the very fact of such spirits in Turkey was a good illustration of existence of people in that country, who spoke for normalization of the Turkish-Armenian relations.

It seems that these spirits got support from outside and in this connection it should be reminded that this very government held a meeting, condemning murders of the Armenian journalist Grant Dink. It all states that the incumbent leadership of Turkey is ready to undertake large steps for normalization of relations between Armenian and Turkey.

Now we face a question whether Turkey will agree to exchange Nagorno Karabakh for Armenia's rejection of the campaign on recognition of the so called 1915 "genocide of Armenians" in the world. I think Turkish leadership may undertake this step. But this will be Turkey's mistake, as concessions in Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be immediately followed by concessions of Armenia in the issue of "1915 genocide", which implies concessions in the issues of compensations to the victims of this "genocide" and in the issues of territorial claims by Armenia and Turkey.

- Can it be said after such steps by Turkey that the talks of the so-called Turkish brotherhood are unfounded?

- The formula of Azerbaijani-Turkish relations: one people-two states, has once been established. Yes, Azerbaijanis and Turks have likewise languages and  are close in historical roots. But Azerbaijani and Turkish peoples are not a single people. These are two independent and different people with sharply differing traditions of political culture.

Moreover, we should not forget that Turks are the empire people, while Azerbaijan is not like that. We should also remember that there is no place for sentiments in the politics, here the principle of personal benefit is ruling.

Moreover, our country is used to romanticizing the history of the Azerbaijani-Turkish relations. For example, the arrival of the Turkish armed forces in Baku in 1918 is usually featured as a sample of brother support of Turkey to our country. But at the same time, it is not taken into account that if Turkey did not have personal interest in entering Azerbaijan, its troops will never come to help Baku. They have the same interest as other countries, which is Baku oil. It was the reason why English, German, Bolsheviks and Turks were striving for Baku.

Unfortunately, we have become witnesses of Azerbaijan's failure to differentiate between such two concepts as single roots of the peoples of Azerbaijan and Turkey and political relations between the two states.

- And the last question: what should Azerbaijan do in such a situation?

- If official Baku has not been informed about conduction of the so-called secret meeting of high-ranking representatives of Turkey and Armenia in advance, Azerbaijan should take definite steps regarding its main ally Turkey.

/Day.Az/