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Azeris worried that they failed to undermine Van-Yerevan flights


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#1 Yervant1

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Posted 16 March 2013 - 11:13 AM

Azeris worried that they failed to undermine Van-Yerevan flights
Posted Image15:23, 16 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS. The official circles of Azerbaijan are worried and angry with the fact that they failed to undermine the operation of Van-Yerevan direct flights between Turkey and Armenia. As reports "Armenpress" citing Azerbaijani media, the head of public-political affairs department of Azerbaijani president’s staff Ali Hasanov, referring to the operation of the flights stated: "Thus Ankara supports a country which continues the occupation of Azerbaijani lands."
Also Hasanov did not conceal the concern of official Baku that "brother country Turkey is establishing relations with Armenia". Among other things he noted: "We treat it with double jealousy, when those countries, with which we have fraternal and strategic relations, deepen tiess with Armenia."
Van-Yerevan-Van direct flights will be implemented from April 3, 2013. Twice in a week the flights will be implemented from Yerevan to Van and in the opposite direction. The flights become reality due to "Narekavank" Travel Agency and the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia.

#2 Yervant1

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Posted 16 March 2013 - 11:23 AM

Posted Image
Azerbaijan jealous as Armenia and Turkey are commencing Yerevan-Van flights


15:45 16.03.2013

Van, Yerevan


Posted Image


Azerbaijan accuses Turkey of supporting Armenia. “Azerbaijan has stated on many occasions that we approach sensitively to any contact with Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, particularly when these contacts are made by friendly countries,” Ali Hasanov, Head of the Department on Social Political Issues of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, said, commenting on the commencing of Yerevan-Van flights, APA reports.
According to him, official Baku views such contact as support and strengthening to Armenia.
“We are twice as jealous when it is done by countries we share strategic interests with. It is not only our opinion, but also that of the Turkish society,” he said.
Ali Hasanov noted that recently when the issue on opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia was raised, it did not find support among the Turkish society, the political parties and the Turkish government. “We assess the opening of Yerevan-Van flight as a certain level of support to Armenia,” he said.

#3 Yervant1

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Posted 18 March 2013 - 12:14 PM

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
March 17 2013


Tensions increase in Azerbaijani-Turkish relations

17 March 2013 - 4:36pm
The relations between two regional allies, Turkey and Azerbaijan, are
in a state of crisis once again. The Azerbaijani authorities are
indignant over Turkey's initiative to establish an air route with
Armenia.

According to media, the Turkish air company Bora Jet is going to start
flights to the Armenian capital, Yerevan. Azerbaijan believes that the
Turkish government has something to do with the idea.

The fact that Turkish President Abdullah Gul immediately congratulated
Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarsgyan on his victory at the presidential
elections was also a very unpleasant surprise for Azerbaijan.

On Saturday a representative of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan party said
that the Turkish authorities should make an official statement on the
establishment of the Van-Yerevan air route. Officials of the
Azerbaijani presidential staff have expressed the same opinion.

The response the Turkish authorities have made so far appears to have
been insufficient. According to the Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan,
Ismayil Alper Coskun, the initiative of the private air company has
nothing to do with the official position of the Turkish cabinet.

`The Azerbaijani media and society are well acquainted with the
position of Turkey on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Armenia.
However, Turkish ambassadors to Azerbaijan have announced their
positions on this up to now. The Turkish President, Prime Minister,
officials and the Speaker of Parliament have clearly announced their
positions on this issue. The flights from Yerevan to Turkey are
operated by private companies. As media report, these are commercial
flights. Private companies have no problems in Turkey in carrying out
these activities,' the ambassador is quoted as saying by the APA
agency.

#4 Yervant1

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Posted 20 March 2013 - 10:17 AM

ARMENIA-TURKEY: ANOTHER CASE OF OUTRAGE FROM AZERBAIJAN AS YEREVAN-VAN FLIGHT SET FOR COMMENCEMENT

http://armenianow.co...ight_azerbaijan
NEWS | 20.03.13 | 15:21

Photolure

By GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

Another initiative in Armenian-Turkish relations has caused a fit of
jealousy in Azerbaijan that has accused its ethnic cousin of supporting
an enemy state.

After negotiations that lasted more than four years, April 3 will see
the commencement of the first flight from Yerevan to the historical
Armenian city of Van, which is located in the territory of modern-day
Turkey.

Officials in Azerbaijan have already slammed Turkey for allowing such
a project that they said will only benefit Armenia, which is seen by
Baku as an aggressor country.

Commercial flights between Yerevan and Van indeed are supposed to
result in greater activity on Armenia's tourist market, as well as
in the adjacent province in Turkey, considering the great interest
that exists among Armenians towards their historical monuments and
other sights in and around Van.

The flight will be carried out on a 68-seat European-make aircraft
designed for short-distance flights belonging to the Turkish airline,
Borajet, and will be operated by the Armenian Narekavank Tour travel
company.

Narekavank Tour company co-founder Armen Hovhannisyan told ArmeniaNow
that every year hundreds of Armenians visit Van and the availability
of a direct Yerevan-Van flight is likely to increase this tourist
flow, as many now are reluctant to go because of the long and tiring
journey that it currently involves.

Hovhannisyan says that reaching Van from Yerevan by a land route
(considering that the Turkish-Armenian border is closed) takes 18-20
hours and costs approximately 25,000-30,000 drams (about $60-75),
while the flight, although more expensive (in April and May a roundtrip
ticket will cost $200, and $250 for other months), but will take only
40 minutes to reach the place. Flights will be available twice a week,
Wednesdays and Sundays.

"This flight has nothing to do with politics, this is pure tourism.

The main goal of the flight is to organize trips and pilgrimages
for Armenians to their historical homeland. This is the best chance
for them to go there," said the travel agent, adding that at this
moment only 10 people have actually booked air tickets to Van, but
expectations are that the flights will sell well.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity with
regional ally Azerbaijan that was suffering heavy defeats in the
Karabakh war waged against ethnic Armenians.

Armenia and Turkey, which also have different perspectives on history,
including the 1915 massacres of Armenian nationals of the Ottoman
Empire, which Ankara refuses to recognize as genocide, have not had
diplomatic relations since then. Attempts to achieve rapprochement
in 2008-2009 suffered a setback against the backdrop of protests from
Baku about a possible Turkish-Armenian normalization.

And in the most recent manifestation of Azeri "jealousy" over
communications between Yerevan and Ankara, a number of Baku officials
raised questions about Turkish President Abdullah Gul's congratulations
sent to his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan on his reelection last
month, causing the Turkish Foreign Ministry to provide a clarification
in this regard.

In an article late last month California Courier publisher Harut
Sassounian examined the trend. He also cited another instance of an
Azeri reaction. "No sooner had Turkish Airlines announced that it
would distribute a copy of Agos, a bilingual Armenian-Turkish weekly
newspaper, to its international passengers, that Fikret Sadikov, an
Azeri professor and political analyst, objected to its dissemination,
calling it an 'absolutely absurd and irresponsible gesture'," wrote
Sassounian.

And despite the fact that a few days ago Turkish Ambassador to
Azerbaijan Ismail Alper Joshkun gave assurances that the operation
of the Yerevan-Van flight is a private commercial project and that
Turkey's stance on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict has not changed,
the Azerbaijani party continues to oppose the commencement of the
flight.

Ali Hasanov, Head of the Department on Social Political Issues of
the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, claimed late last week
that the flight between Yerevan and Van supports a country that is
an enemy of Azerbaijan.

"Azerbaijan has stated on many occasions that we are sensitive to
any contact with Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, particularly when
these contacts are made by friendly countries," said Hasanov. "We
are twice as hurt when it is done by countries we share strategic
interests with."

Deputy Director of the Yerevan-based Caucasus Institute Sergey Minasyan
told ArmeniaNow that such seemingly 'irrational scenes' of jealousy
towards the 'elder brother' Turkey from Azerbaijan are, in fact,
a display of some 'rational fear' that sooner or later these small
steps will lead to some improvement in Turkish-Armenian relations
and removal of the current blockade of Armenia's communications.

"One should not expect the Yerevan-Van project to become a really big
event, but it will certainly become an additional means for Ankara and
partly for Yerevan to at least maintain the level of their existing
relationships and wait for the domestic or regional political
situations to enable them to attempt to restore or resume their
diplomatic steps towards rapprochement," said the political analyst.

#5 Yervant1

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Posted 21 March 2013 - 09:35 AM

TURKEY FACING ILHAM ALIYEV'S "RIGHTEOUS ANGER"?

Azerbaijan is waiting for Turkish explanations on the opening of
Yerevan-Van flights, the latters not matching Ankara's official stance.

A report on the opening of direct Yerevan-Van flights threw Baku
into another fit of hysterics. Azerbaijan seems to believe that any
Armenia-related step initiated by Russia or Turkey must be coordinated
with Baku for fear of the "righteous anger" of Ilham Aliyev.

PanARMENIAN.Net - Current hysterics is the second major one after
Zurich Protocols. The Protocols were doomed to oblivion form the
onset, the Yerevan-Van flights, on the other hand, belonging to a
realm of business, are much more likely to work. Formally, the flights
were initiated by a private Turkish company Bora Jet. Baku, however,
suspects that Ankara might actually be behind the private initiative,
with Turkish President's congratulatory message to Armenian leader
on the latter's reelection further undermining Azeri authorities'
trust towards Turkey's policy line.

The executive secretary of Yeni Azerbaijan ruling party Ali Akhmedov
stated that Baku is waiting for Turkish explanations over the launch of
the flight. He further expressed Baku's reluctance to accept a possible
Turkish-Armenian rapprochement while "Azeri lands remain occupied."

Azeri president's administration expressed a similar stance, with the
officials stressing Baku's "sensitivity" to any contacts with Armenia
or Nagorno Karabakh. "Baku deems such contacts to signal support for
Armenia," the Head of the Presidential Administration's Department
on Social Political Issues Ali Hasanov said.

Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ismail Alper Coskun reassured Baku,
noting that the launch of the private company's flight shouldn't cause
doubts as to the official position of Ankara. However a political
analyst Mubariz Ahmedoglu, who's known to be close to governmental
circles, refuted the envoy's version of a "private initiative." "No
flights in Turkey can be allowed without the official permission of
the Turkish government, regardless of financials gains. There's no
need trying to trick Azerbaijan," he said.

Baku, however, is the only one to blame for the trap it got caught
into. The flights might well be followed by a resumption of a
Kars-Gyumri railway connection. Also, the change of power in Georgia
may alter the regional position of Azerbaijan, which is the main
cause of concern for he latter. And the "countless oil-brought riches"
which Baku will soon run out of won't affect the situation. It's hard
to believe Ilham Aliyev is unaware of the fact, but the inertia of
thought prompts him to continue dictating conditions.

Turkey is currently facing an unpleasant situation - with the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire to be marked
in 2 years, Ankara feels constrained to take some steps. Yerevan-Van
flight is the first step which can be followed by Kars-Gyumri railway
opening and even cancellation of visa regime. However, one must say,
Armenian citizens have no problem getting visas at Georgia's Vale or
Sarpi check points. As for Baku, it may continue its demarches till
they actually make Ankara sick.

Karine Ter-Sahakyan / PanARMENIAN News

#6 Yervant1

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Posted 29 March 2013 - 04:59 PM

TURKEY OFFICIALLY FREEZES YEREVAN-VAN FLIGHTS

http://hetq.am/eng/n...an-flights.html
14:45, March 29, 2013

Narekavank Tour is sorry to report that as of yesterday the General
Directorate of Civil Aviation of Turkey officially suspended
Van-Yerevan-Van direct flights yesterday

These flights had to be operated by Armenian Tour Operator Narekavank
Tour, Turkish Borajet Airline and Ayanis Travel Agency, based in Van.

The major goal of the flight was to develop regional tourism and
cultural interactions between people, along with contributing to
economic and business cooperation.

#7 Yervant1

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Posted 29 March 2013 - 05:06 PM

VAN-YEREVAN-VAN FLIGHT DELAYED INDEFINITELY

March 29, 2013 - 15:51 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Turkey
instructed Borajet air company to delay the opening of Van-Yerevan-Van
direct flight for an indefinite period, Narekavan Tour travel company
director Ashot Soghomonyan told PanARMENIAN.Net

Yerevan hosted the presentation of Van-Yerevan-Van flight on March 14,
with heads of tour companies, Armenian deputy minister of economy,
representatives of U.S. embassy and EU mission in Armenia present.

The first flight was scheduled on April 3 to be operated by Narekavan
Tour jointly with Turkish Borajet. The ticket for a 40-minute trip was
to be priced at $250, with a 20% discount offered for April flights.

The decision might be triggered by Azeri reaction over the launch of
the flight, with Baku accusing Ankara of "betraying relations with
Baku and failing to consider Azeri interests in Karabakh issue." In
an earlier conversation with PanARMENIAN.Net Turkologist Andranik
Ispiryan characterized Azeri reaction as common. "Azeri hysterics
prompted Ankara's remark, assuring Baku of being its best friend
where Karabakh settlement is concerned," the expert said.




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