A DELEGATION of 86 Azeri businessmen, state officials and cultural figures last night claimed they had made history by being aboard the first plane to fly directly to the north’s Ercan (Tymbou) airport.
The delegation flew to the island aboard a jet of the privately-owned IM-Air, a small airline that according to its website operates services between Baku and other cities in the ex-Soviet Union. Sources said the airline also runs a route to Antalya in southern Turkey.
The flight follows weeks of speculation that Azerbaijan could be planning to declare recognition of the breakaway state and begin scheduled flights to its internationally unrecognised airport.
However, the north’s ‘foreign ministry’ spokesman Kutred Akay played down any suggestion that Azerbaijan was about to recognise the north by telling the Cyprus Mail, “Recognition is not the issue. This is about developing economic bilateral relations”.
Akay said that establishing and strengthening bilateral relations between the north and other nations was something agreed on at the last meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and that the Azeri delegation’s visit was the first indication that the OIC agreement was bearing fruit. He added that seeking international recognition was no longer a policy being pursued by the Turkish Cypriot community.
“This visit is not a political one; it is primarily economic,” he said. He also expressed hope that Azerbaijan would be setting a precedent that would be followed by other Islamic countries.
“If Azeri businessmen show that they can do this, why should others not follow suit?” he said.
Asked why the delegation had chosen not to avoid international condemnation and touch down in Turkey before continuing its journey to northern Cyprus Akay said, “These are business-minded people and they are taking the shortest route here.”
He added: “Turkish Airlines [THY] and Cyprus Turkish Airlines [CTA] have been flying here direct for years. If what they are doing is illegal, why have they not faced legal action? There is ambiguity about the law. It is not as clear cut as the Greek Cypriots would like to think.”
Akay also pointed out an apparent contradiction stemming from the current situation that allows EU citizens to land in the north and cross freely to the Greek Cypriot south.
Yesterday the Turkish Cypriot press published an itinerary for the delegation’s visit that includes visits to political and business leaders in the north.
Akay said he believed there were a wide variety of business opportunities the Azeris would be interested in looking into, including agriculture, education and fuel production.
Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, speaking after a visit by eight Azeri state officials last week, warned that if the Azeri airline began direct flights to the north others would also begin flying to the internationally unrecognised airport.
“This will happen eventually. The Greek Cypriot side is so rigid, and it does not pay any attention to international public opinion. With EU membership, it acquired an advantage and it thinks that it can hold on this advantage without making any openings. Not only the USA, but Israel, Iran and the EU member countries will start direct flights.”
