US, TURKEY AND ISRAEL TO BACK AZERBAIJAN AGAINST IRAN
By Safa Haeri, IPS Editor
PARIS-ANKARA 16 Aug. (IPS) Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi rejected Wednesday as "provocative and unfounded" comments made a day earlier by his American counterpart, accusing the Islamic Republic of having "repeatedly violated" neighbouring Azerbaijan’s airspace.
"Interference of countries outside the Caspian region in the affairs of the Sea’s littoral states not only hinder settlement of disputes in the sea, but also make that process even more complicated", the Iraqi-born Asefi told the official Iranian news agency IRNA.
In its first public comment on the Tehran-Baku crisis over a disputed oil-rich zone in the Caspian Sea, Washington backed Azerbaijan, confirming Azerbaijan’s claims that Iranian aircraft had "provocatively violated" Azerbaijan’s air space.
Azeri television claimed on several occasions that Iranian Air Force reconnaissance plane violated Azerbaijan's airspace in the Caspian Sea.
But the reports were immediately rejected by Tehran, arguing that the planes had been on "routine patrol" over the Iranian territorial waters.
"Such actions are provocative. Further, they're counterproductive to efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution of Caspian boundary disputes", the State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said.
"As we've repeatedly stated, the United States supports negotiation among the littoral states of the Caspian Sea to settle the question of boundaries", he added.
The five Caspian Sea states bordering the world’s greatest lake, namely Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are at loggerheads on how to divide up the sea's oil-rich resources, evaluated at US $10 trillions, with Tehran insisting of equal share while the others, with the except of Turkmenistan, having already divided the waters according to each one’s length of shore.
Reeker, speaking at a daily briefing, said the United States favored the economic development of energy resources in the Caspian basin according to free-market principles, using investment by international firms.
"So we firmly support Azerbaijan and all other countries which choose negotiation, not confrontation, as a path to those goals" he added.
But Mr. Asefi rejected these "allegations", saying that the Islamic Republic strongly maintains that the littoral states, without relying on foreign parties, should cooperate with one another to settle their disputes through negotiation in such a way as to guarantee their own interests.
Asefi said Iran, along with other littoral states, would try to settle the Caspian Sea disputes through continued negotiations within a normal course and by adopting 'good will' measures.
The US took the side of Azerbaijan three days after Turkey had warned the ruling Iranian ayatollahs to keep off Baku or face Ankara.
According to the influential daily "Hurriyet" (Freedom), unidentified authorities in Ankara, "using diplomatic channels", have warned the Islamic Republic that in case Azerbaijan is menaced by Iran, it would have to face Turkey.
"We shall not allow Iran to do with Azerbaijan what Saddam Hussein (the Iraqi dictator) did with Kuwait", the daily said on its 13 August issue.
A Turkish television station and a number of Turkish dailies said on Tuesday and Monday that the Iranian ambassador had been summoned to the ministry to explain the incident in Iran's section of the Caspian Sea between an Iranian naval vessel and an Azeri exploration vessel.
Iran and Azerbaijan last month reached the brink of war after an Iranian gunboat and a jet fighter ordered a British Petroleum research vessel that was operating for the Azerbaijan’s State Oil Company SOCAR to leave the zone claimed by both Tehran and Baku as their territorial waters.
BP suspended operations after Iranian show of force, amidst strong protest from the staunchly secularist Azeri government to the Islam-based regime of Tehran.
As the rift between Tehran and Baku on the status of the Caspian Sea went beyond the limits of a verbal duel after reported air space violations by Iranian planes, the Turkish side declared its concerns over the escalation near its borders.
Worried about the possibility of armed tension, the Turkish side warned the Iranian side not to use force against Baku, reminding that such a step would be the violation of international law.
"Receiving the Iranian Ambassador to Ankara Hussein Lavasani, the Turkish Foreign Ministry undersecretary Faruk Logoglu warned last week that Iran should avoid actions, which might lead to an armed conflict with Baku", the usually well-informed English language "Turkish Daily News" said.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry confirmed that it had sent a message to the Iranian Ambassador in Ankara, Mr. Mohammad Hussein Lavasani, urging Iran to "abide by U.N. principles, abstain from the threat of force and settle the dispute through dialogue".
"We are carefully and closely watching the latest tension between our two neighbours Iran and Azerbaijan (that arose) because the legal status in the Caspian Sea is not yet clear", the Ministry said in a statement.
"Turkey has urged Iran and Azerbaijan to calm a row over a disputed territory in the oil-rich Caspian Sea, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said".
But Mr. Asefi denied Turkish press reports that Mr. Lavasani had been summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry to receive a warning.
"Our ambassador had a casual meeting with a Turkish Foreign Ministry official, in line with the ongoing relations between the two countries, discussing issues of bilateral interest", the spokesman said.
At the same time, he criticised the Turkish press for distorting the contents of the meeting of the two officials, adding that the acts are in contrast to the friendly atmosphere between the two countries.
"The harsh and arrogant attitude of the Islamic Republic towards Azerbaijan provided a golden opportunity for Turkish extremists", said Mr. Reza Shoja’i, an Istanbul-based Iranian lawyer.
Commenting the "Turkish dimension" of the Iran-Azeraijan conflict for the Persian service of Radio France Internationale, Mr. Shoja’i put the blame squarely on the "weakness" of Iranian diplomacy.
"Iranian approach to the division of Caspian Sea’s waters and resources have completely isolated Tehran", he observed, noting that in case the conflict escalates further, all former Soviet Union’s republics, including Russia, would side with Baku against Tehran.
"Don’t forget that those countries have lived together for some 70 years, not forgetting huge investments made in the region’s energy resources by giant oil firms", Mr. Shoja’i added.
Actually, Georgia expressed "alarmed" at the behavior of Iran in its dispute over the Caspian Sea, Foreign Minister Irakli Menagarishvili said Tuesday during a visit to the neighboring Republic of Azerbaijan.
"Georgia has watched recent events in the Caspian with alarm", Mr. Menagarishvili told reporters after meeting Azeri Foreign Minister Vilayat Guliyev in Baku. "Georgia and Azerbaijan must mobilize their efforts in terms of economic cooperation to counteract those who do not want stability in the region" he said, referring to Iranian menaces against Baku.
A 1,700 km (1,000 mile) oil pipeline from Azerbaijan capital Baku to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, bypassing Iran, has received backing from the United States.
The project is also backed by British Petroleum, which is developing the Azeri fields.
Commenting on the US’s support for Azerbaijan, Tehran Radio described Wednesday Washington’s policies in the Caspian region as a "flop", saying that as a result of its good relations with Washington, Baku has suffered the most.
"With showing the wrong direction and extravagant propaganda on the un-economic Baku-Ceyhan pipe-line, America has dealt Baku enormous damages", the State-run, leader-controlled Radio said, forgetting that actually it is Iran that, because of its anti-American crusade, had been deprived of billions of revenues it could benefit if the Caspian basin’s oil and gas would pass by Iran, as they should have, being the most natural and economic of other roads.
According to this source, in meeting with the Iranian Envoy to Ankara, a Turkish high-ranking diplomat had bluntly warned Iran of "long term damages" in case the rift with Baku continued.
In a telephone interview with RFI’s Torab Mostofi on Wednesday, Mr. Shoja’i highlighted the important role played by Israel, which, like Turkey and the United States, has also took the side of Azerbaijan.
"Israel has entered the scene, on the side of Turkey and Azerbaijan, on the enemy of my enemy is my friend principle", he said, pointing out to the Ankara-Tel Aviv strategic, military and intelligence co-operation, an alliance that Tehran claims to have been hammered out by Washington to destabilise Iran.
Asked what kind of support Israel could give Baku, Mr. Shoja’i said Tel Aviv has offered, "via Ankara" to modernize Azerbaijan’s weapons, train its army and provide technical oil assistance.
In his view, if countries "alien" to the region, like Israel, have now set foot there, is because of the lack of diplomatic "subtlety, flexibility and fineness".
"Instead of showing muscles and proffering menaces, Iran should have treated Azerbaijan like a younger brother, not forgetting that this country can be the Iranian theocracy’s "Achilles heel!" ENDS TURKEY IRAN AZERBAIJAN 16801