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TURKEY NOT TO REOPEN ARMENIAN BORDER UNLESS KARABAKH ISSUE SOLVED
Anadolu Agency
Oct 26 2010
Turkey
Nakhichevan, 26 October: Turkey will not open its border and develop
commercial relations with Armenia unless a solution to Karabakh problem
is found, Turkey's foreign trade minister said on Tuesday [26 October].
Zafer Caglayan, who is in Nakhichevan for talks, said that Nakhichevan
was really important for both Azerbaijan and Turkey.
"That's why we have to develop Nakhichevan," Caglayan said. "We will
do it by the help of trade. We will sign deals. The size of our trade
with Azerbaijan is around 2bn dollars but this is not enough. We have
to make it 5bn dollars."
On opening of Turkey's border with Armenia, Caglayan said, "Our
commercial relations cannot develop and the border cannot open unless
the Karabakh problem is resolved. Our president and prime minister
have made it clear. And now, I am repeating it here. We will neither
do business with Armenia nor open the border unless Armenians withdraw
from the territory they occupied."
Turkey shut down its border and cut off diplomatic ties with Armenia
in 1993, after Armenian army forces occupied Azerbaijan's Karabakh
region. Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols in October 2009 to
normalize relations, reopen their border and restore diplomatic ties.
However, protocols have yet to be ratified by both parties.
From: A. Papazian
Anadolu Agency
Oct 26 2010
Turkey
Nakhichevan, 26 October: Turkey will not open its border and develop
commercial relations with Armenia unless a solution to Karabakh problem
is found, Turkey's foreign trade minister said on Tuesday [26 October].
Zafer Caglayan, who is in Nakhichevan for talks, said that Nakhichevan
was really important for both Azerbaijan and Turkey.
"That's why we have to develop Nakhichevan," Caglayan said. "We will
do it by the help of trade. We will sign deals. The size of our trade
with Azerbaijan is around 2bn dollars but this is not enough. We have
to make it 5bn dollars."
On opening of Turkey's border with Armenia, Caglayan said, "Our
commercial relations cannot develop and the border cannot open unless
the Karabakh problem is resolved. Our president and prime minister
have made it clear. And now, I am repeating it here. We will neither
do business with Armenia nor open the border unless Armenians withdraw
from the territory they occupied."
Turkey shut down its border and cut off diplomatic ties with Armenia
in 1993, after Armenian army forces occupied Azerbaijan's Karabakh
region. Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols in October 2009 to
normalize relations, reopen their border and restore diplomatic ties.
However, protocols have yet to be ratified by both parties.
From: A. Papazian