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BAKU: Ankara assures Azeris border opening ruled out

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  • BAKU: Ankara assures Azeris border opening ruled out

    AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
    October 12, 2009 Monday

    ANKARA ASSURES AZERIS BORDER OPENING RULED OUT BEFORE OCCUPATION ENDS


    The embassy of Turkey in Baku on Monday repeated Ankaras assurances
    that reopening of the countrys border with Armenia is not negotiable
    prior to a pullout of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied
    territories of Azerbaijan. The embassy said in a statement that it is
    disappointed with the reports about opening of the Turkish-Armenian
    border circulated by the Azerbaijani media following Saturdays signing
    of two protocols on mending ties between Ankara and Yerevan.

    Ankara thereby appealed to the Azerbaijani public, saying that as
    repeatedly noted by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the
    Turkish-Armenian border, which closed after the occupation of Garabagh
    [an Azeri region under Armenian occupation], will not reopen before
    the occupation of Azerbaijani territories ends, and this cannot be
    even a subject of discussions. The statement also said that, as stated
    by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, no relations can be more
    important than Turkey-Azerbaijan cooperation. It said opening of the
    border with Armenia is a long process which requires liberation of
    Azerbaijans occupied land. The embassy added that we expect the
    fraternal Azerbaijani people to confide in Turkey and not to trust
    false and deliberate reports. Turkey and Armenia face decades of
    enmity. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 due to Armenian
    occupation of Azerbaijani territory and Yerevans claims on the World
    War I-era genocide in the Ottoman Empire. However, there have lately
    been signs of normalization in Ankara-Yerevan ties. The two
    governments signed a historic agreement to establish diplomatic
    relations and reopen their borders on Saturday. However, the signed
    protocols require the approval of both countries parliaments to be
    considered valid. Ankara has repeatedly pledged that the border will
    not open until the Garabagh conflict has been fairly resolved.
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