BY HASAN KANBOLAT
TODAY'S ZAMAN- President Abdullah Gul paid an official visit to Azerbaijan from Feb. 16-17, 2010, at the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. President Gul was accompanied by Energy and Natural Resources Minister and Turkish-Azerbaijani Joint Economic Commission Co-Chairman Taner Yildiz. A Strategic Partnership and Mutual Assistance Agreement was signed by the two countries. Gul attended the opening ceremonies for the general directorate building of the Azer-Turk Bank, of which Ziraat Bank is a shareholder, and an iron and steel plant constructed by Turkish businessman Dagistan Turanli.
Turkish-Azerbaijani relations are being approached with a mentality of "one nation, two states," as Gul puts it. Bilateral relations are improving particularly in the field of politics, security, economy and culture. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) crude oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline projects are concrete indicators of the cooperation between the two countries in the field of energy. Construction for the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line, which started in 2008, is in progress, and it is expected to be completed in 2012.
Azerbaijan is no longer the impoverished country of the 1990s. It is no longer a country in need of Turkey's government scholarships for its students. Prosperous Azerbaijani companies have started to invest in Turkey, and Azerbaijani citizens are spending their holidays in Turkey; some have even settled here. This indicates a new dynamism that will help shape bilateral relations in the coming decades.
However, certain glitches in their relationship cannot be completely eliminated. These glitches linger as the two countries have not developed a consistent approach to relations.
Although Turkey canceled visa requirements for Azerbaijani citizens, Baku continues to keep it visa requirements for Turks in place. Turkish goods are still subject to non-tariff barriers at Azerbaijani customs. A container's average waiting time at customs is 11 days around the world, but it can be as long as 50 days at Azerbaijani customs. Turkish citizens who are married, have children and have established businesses in Azerbaijan still complain that they are unable to obtain residence or work permits.
The problems that Turkey must settle include: signing of a free trade agreement; implementing the joint industrial zone and free zone projects; Azerbaijan's ending of visa requirements for Turkish citizens; permitting Turkish banks to operate in Azerbaijan; eliminating the long delays at Azerbaijani customs; facilitating Turkish citizens' ability to obtain residence and work permits; increasing transportation quotas from 5,000 to 40,000; settling tax-related issues; and implementing reference prices for Turkish goods. To solve these and other problems, Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan proposes that a group consisting of politicians and bureaucrats from both countries should be established to come up with a solution.
Azerbaijani policies have long been based on a false assumption that said "No damage will be done to us, even if we neglect Turkey." Baku has long neglected Turkish intellectuals, bureaucrats, nongovernmental organizations, media and the Turkish general public. It has opted for the convenience of pursuing its Turkey policy via high-level talks with party leaders, government officials and the General Staff. Despite the fact that Azerbaijani territory is still occupied by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey have failed to develop a joint policy regarding Armenia or establish joint research centers. Baku denied Turkey the economic privileges it granted the Russian Federation and Iran. While occasionally raising its voice in protest of Turkey's Armenia policy, Azerbaijan chose to ignore the close relations the Russian Federation and Iran had with Armenia.
Everyone must see that the "in the bag" policy employed between Turkey and Azerbaijan no longer applies. Ankara and Baku need a new and realistic policy. It is high time that the brotherhood-of-the-nations discourse be reflected in the policies and legal systems of both countries.
I believe that Azerbaijan's young and dynamic ambassador to Turkey, Faig Bagirov, who assumed his post in early August, will bring a new dynamism to bilateral relations. Bagirov has experience both in Turkey and the wider Middle East. He will certainly make use of his experience during his new term in office.