IN TURKEY THEY ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE INTOLERANT TOWARDS AZERIS
The Azeris threw stones at the popular stones because of compliments addressed to Heydar Aliyev.
The incident taken place Monday in the Turkish city of Adan became another confirmation of the fact that the relations between Turks and Azeris are not so friendly. The Azerbaijan phobia of the Turkish youth was expressed at a concert of the popular Turkish singer Ibrahim Tatlises. He decided to dedicate his concert to Heydar Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan. As soon as the singer declared this, the audience started to throw stones and lighters at him. The incident finished with a conflict with the policemen who tried to arrest the most active members.
This incident in the concert hall of the city of Adan is not an exception. There are bases to think that not everybody in Turkey shares the position of Ankara to support Aliyev's regime. The adviser to the former prime minister of the country demanded to stop the support to Aliyev's clan. The Turks are concerned most of all with the attitude of the Azeris towards their compatriots. Recently the cases of murders of Turks have become rather frequent in Azerbaijan. Half a year ago a 21 years old first year student of the Pedagogical University of Baku, Bulent Chimen and his brother Murad underwent an attack from armed persons. The latter survived while Bulent died in the hospital.
Such cases happen rather frequently in Baku. Only on the territory of the Nasimin district of Baku during the last two years at least three murders of Turkish citizens have taken place. In December 2000 the Turkish students held a manifestation on the central streets of Baku protesting against the murder of their compatriot, 25 years old Dogan Ahmed who was studying in the Technical University of Azerbaijan. The friends of Ahmed discovered that he was killed by the fans of Baku who were dissatisfied with the results of the football match between the national teams of Azerbaijan and Turkey. In the end of January 2003 a well-known Turkish businessman – owner of a big transport company "Metro Tourism" Khalid Ozturk died in a hotel in Baku. The Turkish businessmen are worrying not only about their security but also their investments. In Ankara they say that the Baku authorities give oral guarantees for the investments but in reality the Turkish capital is not protected in Azerbaijan. An example – the "Barmek" enterprise, Turkey, which was managing the energy system of Azerbaijan. Despite the fact that the company invested big sums in the economy of Azerbaijan, Baku media do their best to discredit the company. Besides, the road tax for Turkey exceeds the tariff set for Russia, Ukraine and Georgia. All these facts come to prove that the relations between Turks and Azerbaijanis are not so friendly. In Ankara they have stopped to pretend they do not notice the unfriendly demonstration of their "smaller brothers" and give an appropriate answer.
Such cases happen rather frequently in Baku. Only on the territory of the Nasimin district of Baku during the last two years at least three murders of Turkish citizens have taken place. In December 2000 the Turkish students held a manifestation on the central streets of Baku protesting against the murder of their compatriot, 25 years old Dogan Ahmed who was studying in the Technical University of Azerbaijan. The friends of Ahmed discovered that he was killed by the fans of Baku who were dissatisfied with the results of the football match between the national teams of Azerbaijan and Turkey. In the end of January 2003 a well-known Turkish businessman – owner of a big transport company "Metro Tourism" Khalid Ozturk died in a hotel in Baku. The Turkish businessmen are worrying not only about their security but also their investments. In Ankara they say that the Baku authorities give oral guarantees for the investments but in reality the Turkish capital is not protected in Azerbaijan. An example – the "Barmek" enterprise, Turkey, which was managing the energy system of Azerbaijan. Despite the fact that the company invested big sums in the economy of Azerbaijan, Baku media do their best to discredit the company. Besides, the road tax for Turkey exceeds the tariff set for Russia, Ukraine and Georgia. All these facts come to prove that the relations between Turks and Azerbaijanis are not so friendly. In Ankara they have stopped to pretend they do not notice the unfriendly demonstration of their "smaller brothers" and give an appropriate answer.
