ALIYEV IS JEALOUS FOR AHMET SEZER’S INTEREST IN ROBERT KOCHARIAN

PanARMENIAN.Net - The message itself does not contain anything extraordinary. The President of the neighboring country just congratulated his counterpart and voiced his hope that during his second term peace and stability will be maintained in the region. We shall note that when Ahmet Sezer was elected President, he received from the Armenian President a similar telegram. It is also noteworthy that five years ago the predecessor of Sezer, Suleiman Demirel did not react anyhow when Robert Kocharian was elected. But from that time many things have changed – Ankara is obliged to take into consideration the opinion of the world community which does not agree with the hostile attitude of certain circles in Turkey towards Armenia.

So, Sezer's message was not unexpected. Quite the contrary, it would be strange if Sezer didn't congratulate Kocharian. It would have been noticed by the European Union and European Parliament authorities, the opinion of which is very important for Turkish leaders. It is interesting that Robert Kocharian received the congratulatory message a day before the report of Arie Ostlander, the European Parliament reporter on Turkey, who expressed his viewpoints concerning the country's membership in the European Union. Speaking about the requirements to be fulfilled by the Turks, the reporter from the Netherlands stressed the importance for Ankara to quit its policy aimed at isolation of Armenia. According to Ostlander, in the report about Turkey which soon will be submitted to the consideration of the members of the Commission on Foreign Relations of the Parliament of Europe, as the ''main political condition'' for the membership in the EU the normalization of the relations with Armenia should be mentioned.

Even in this situation the Baku authorities think that the ''actions of Ankara have no explanation''. This was a quotation from the comments of the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Vilayat Guliyev, who said that the congratulation addressed by Turkish President to Robert Kocharian, causes at least bewilderment. The telegram became even a subject for discussion at the Parliament session of Azerbaijan. Member of board of the ''Yeni Azerbaijan'' governing party Vugar Ragimzade voiced his concern with the telegram stressing that the congratulation may be a sign of Turkey's intention to resume its economic relations with Armenia. The Azerbaijani opposition used this fact to discredit the regime of Heydar Aliyev. ''Sezer's congratulation is the consequence of the policy led by the authorities. We have told you: do not start negotiations with Robert Kocharian,'' Chairman of the ''People's front'' Ali Kerimli said. And why shouldn't the Turkish President congratulate the President of Armenia? Head of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Vilayat Guliyev brings three reasons: first of all, because Robert Kocharian has fought against Azerbaijan. The second reason is that he insists on recognition of the fact of the Armenian genocide. And the third is that some international observers have noticed cases of violation of the electoral code during the elections.

The logic is strange. Heydar Aliyev himself is in permanent contact with the President of Armenia. Moreover, last August Aliyev received the former military leader of Karabakh very hospitably in the Sadarak village, near Nakhichevan. Regarding the Genocide, following the logic of Guliyev, the official Ankara should stop its diplomatic relations with Russia, France, Italy, Greece, Vatican, Lebanon, Uruguay, Argentine and other eight countries which have officially recognized and condemned the fact of the Armenian Genocide carried out in the beginning of the last century in the Ottoman Empire. As far as the elections are concerned, the official Baku has no right to speak about it. During the 12 years of independence, Azerbaijan has never carried out democratic elections. Assessments of international observers regarding their elections were much stricter. And the upcoming Presidential elections will be the worst among them, because the international institutions do not hide their indignation with the fact that Heydar Aliyev intends to be elected for the third term, despite the requirements of the Constitution...