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ANKARA: Azeri Diplomat Claims Repair Works Launched At Turkey-Armeni

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  • ANKARA: Azeri Diplomat Claims Repair Works Launched At Turkey-Armeni

    AZERI DIPLOMAT CLAIMS REPAIR WORKS LAUNCHED AT TURKEY-ARMENIA BORDER

    Hurriyet
    April 9 2009
    Turkey

    ISTANBUL - Repair works have been launched at Alican checkpoint at the
    Turkish-Armenian border which was closed since 1993, an Azerbaijani
    diplomat said on Wednesday.

    "Repair works are underway in the border crossing point in the
    territory of Armenia. The roads leading to Alican are being covered
    with asphalt," Azerbaijan's consul general to the eastern Turkish
    province of Kars, Hasan Zeynalov, told Azeri Press Agency, or APA.

    Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations, and their border
    has been closed in 1993 over Armenia's invasion of territory that
    accounts for 20 percent of Azerbaijan - a frozen conflict legacy of
    the Soviet Union known as Nagorno-Karabakh.

    Zeynalov also told Azeri Press Agency that residents in the eastern
    Turkish provinces of Kars and Igdir, where Alican checkpoint was
    located, were very concerned over the possibility of re-opening of
    the border.

    "Kars and Igdir residents do not understand the reason of this
    step. The are against the re-opening of border," he said.

    Ankara and Yerevan have been engaged in a normalization process,
    including the reopening of the border, since Turkish President Abdullah
    Gul paid a landmark visit to Armenia last year to watch a World Cup
    qualifying football match between the countries' national teams.

    Recent media reports suggest the two neighboring countries are close
    to sign a memorandum that will lead to normalization of the relations.

    Diplomatic sources told the Turkish broadcaster CNNTurk on Thursday
    that although there are improvements on the talks, the border is
    unlikely to be opened before April 24, commemoration day of the
    1915 incidents.

    Azeri officials have expressed concern over the prospect of the
    border being reopened and some media reports suggested that Baku
    might even go one step further in halting the sale of natural gas to
    Turkey. Azerbaijan, which has strong cultural and historic ties with
    Turkey, has said opening the border before the withdrawal of Armenian
    troops from the country's occupied territories would run counter to
    its national interests.

    Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday it will be
    difficult to overcome problems with Armenia unless Nagorno-Karabakh
    conflict is resolved, in a bid to soothe Azerbaijan's concerns.
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