Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
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REVUE DE PRESSE~PRESS REVIEW~BERHEVOKAÇAPÊ-RlVISTA STAMPA~DENTRO DE LA PRENSA~BASIN ÖZETi<br />
link to Central Asia over<br />
its own territory.<br />
Central Asia should reach the sea. It will have<br />
access to the sea either via Pakistan, Iran or Turkey.<br />
The Pakistan route is inevitable.<br />
But the opening of the other route (over Iran) might<br />
block the Turkish route to the sea or vastly reduce Its<br />
significance. And Iran is already engage~ in a b.ig<br />
effort to provi<strong>de</strong> the sea link to Central ASia over ItS<br />
own territory. ..<br />
That' s why the resolution of the AzerbalJan-<br />
Armenia conflict is so important ~or Turkey. If the<br />
conflict is resolved, Turkey can easily reach out from<br />
its eastern boundary to Baku, and from there to<br />
Krasnovodsk. .<br />
And then it will be easier for the Central ASian<br />
countries to take their D'oods to the Black Sea ~nd<br />
Mediterranean ports ofTurkey rathe.r than takmg<br />
them to the Indian Ocean through Pakistan or to the<br />
.Persian Gulf through Iran.<br />
• ,]The Chechnya<br />
HM affair and Turkey's<br />
relations with the<br />
Central Asian republics<br />
should not cause a<br />
chill in the relations<br />
with Russia. The<br />
attempts to s<strong>et</strong>tle the<br />
Chechnya problem with<br />
repression, with force,<br />
with bloodshed<br />
are utterly wrong. In'<br />
Russia, people should<br />
support the friendship<br />
b<strong>et</strong>ween their country<br />
and Turkey.<br />
And, in fact, this Silk Road will reemerge, extending<br />
from Peking to London. Turkey should compl<strong>et</strong>e<br />
the missing str<strong>et</strong>ch of railroad around Lake Van. .<br />
But Turkef s policies towards these Central Asian<br />
states are not motivated by calculations of material<br />
benefits. What it seeks is the ability of these sta.tes to<br />
stand on their own fe<strong>et</strong>, to <strong>de</strong>velop therr econortues.<br />
Turkey, Iran and the West.. .<br />
:'Turkey has suffered heavily from the stance the .<br />
Western powers have adopted against Iraq, and .<br />
it continues to suffer. And it will suffer again if<br />
the Western powers enter a confrontation willi Iran.<br />
So, when adopting a stance towards the countries<br />
around us, they should know how far they harm<br />
Turkey. And after a certain point, Turkeycannot bear<br />
these losses.<br />
Now look, what the Gulf crisis has caused (for<br />
Turkey). They cannot praise Turkey enough. We<br />
cooperated like this ... We cooperated like that.<br />
Very well, but the 100 million tons of oil (flowing<br />
through the Kirkuk- Yumurtalik pipeline) is no longer<br />
there. .<br />
The pipeline is abandoned to rot. It is a great pity.<br />
Despite all the efforts, it has not been possible to<br />
reactivate the pi~line. There are 26 million barrels<br />
of oil trapped insi<strong>de</strong>. If it is flushed, the oil insi<strong>de</strong><br />
will be wortli $500-600 million. What will happen to<br />
this money?<br />
I want to say this here: Turkey should help<br />
Azerbaijan and Armenia to reach a s<strong>et</strong>tlement. After a<br />
s<strong>et</strong>tlement over Karabakh, Armenia will withdraw<br />
from other Azerbaijani territory it has occupied.<br />
There will be a softening and a s<strong>et</strong>tlement will be <strong>de</strong>finitely<br />
reached. .<br />
When this comes about, Turkey will take increased<br />
amounts of relief supplies to Azerbaijan. Everyone<br />
will.<br />
But what is more important is a route from Turkey<br />
to Central Asia. I see this as vital for Turkey, vital for<br />
them (the Central Asian states).<br />
There is a.surprising flow of goods from Turkey to<br />
these countries by road. ' .<br />
But the road b<strong>et</strong>ween (the eastern Turkish city of)<br />
Erzurum and Gürbulak (the customs point on the<br />
Iranian bor<strong>de</strong>r) is clogged (because of slow Iranian<br />
procedures) and they cannot pass through. And of<br />
course, there is this matter ofsea accessto Central<br />
Asia.<br />
This will create a lot of investment opportunities in<br />
Central Asia: So, Turkey will continue Its interest in<br />
g<strong>et</strong>ting,to this region. .<br />
Iransays it does not want to create any obstacles,<br />
and is not barring the way. But, on the other hand, the<br />
trucks cannot pass through. Still, we cannot afford to<br />
hurt Iran. Our strategy calls for good relations with<br />
Iran.<br />
IIAs for potential<br />
:::~;:;:;:::-..;:,<br />
Western pressures on<br />
Turkey to join the<br />
West in its confrontation<br />
with Iran as speculated,<br />
Turkey cannot lift<br />
such a load.<br />
As for potential Western pressures on Turkey to<br />
join the West in its confrontation with Iran as speculated,<br />
Turkey cannot lift such a load. Now, who guarantees<br />
that these (Western powers)will not go to Iraq .<br />
(for reconciliation.).<br />
'<br />
These countries are OUf neighbors and Turkey ,<br />
should avoid as far as possible any hostility with its<br />
neighbor sun<strong>de</strong>r this influence or that. They provoke .<br />
you in that direction, and it may so happen that<br />
tomorrow you see them becoming friends with your<br />
new-won enemy. So, here, Turkey should play its<br />
.own political game. . .<br />
In these matters there is an excellent dialogue<br />
b<strong>et</strong>ween myself and the foreign ministry..<br />
And I am particularly interested in Turkey's forei[l}<br />
relations.<br />
Therefore I am saying this with full emphasis:<br />
Turkey should take a stronger position in this ECO. .<br />
And it should come to a stronger position in the<br />
Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization. Wé<br />
should be a bit more energ<strong>et</strong>ic. .<br />
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