Azeri and Turkish foreign ministers stated recently that there’s no any problems between the two countries. Do you really think that all misunderstanding has gone?

Of course, the problems between Turkey and Azerbaijan have not disappeared. Most importantly, the trust is far from being restored.

Azerbaijan had trusted Turkish support so much that it did not see the need to conduct a long-term lobbying operation in Ankara. This reflected belief in the maxim “one nation, two states”. But the loss of Azerbaijani trust in Turkey - at least the current Turkish government - is so deep that this maxim has, for the time being, lost all practical relevance.

President Aliyev said that Turkish proposals on gas export issue is unacceptable for Azerbaijan, and Baku will search another routs. Do you expect any changes in that position after the statement of two foreign ministers?

Azerbaijan is likely to export gas in accordance with its national interests. If Turkish transit and import conditions are appropriate and comparable to other alternatives, there is no reason why gas cannot flow to and through Turkey.

Do you see role of external powers to harm Azeri-Turkish relations? 

It is fairly clear that the Russian government is pleased with the deterioration of Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, and is likely doing what it can to accelerate that process. Only the Kremlin stands to gain from this deterioration.

Do you feel sure that Turkish-Armenian border will open soon and how it can affect the Karabakh issue?

The Turkish-Armenian border is unlikely to open soon unless there is some Armenian withdrawal from occupied territories.

Domestically, it would be very costly for Mr. Erdogan to open the border. He could force it through parliament if he decided to do that but only by forcing his own party's parliamentarians to vote against their own conscience and against their voter's opinions.

It is more likely that the parliamentarians are told to vote according to their conscience, as happened in the 2003 vote on Iraq, and in this case the protocol will not pass.

Aliyah Fridman
News.Az