ISTANBUL: Armenia Border Not To Be Opened Unless Karabakh Issue Reso

[Kanayan Tamar]

ARMENIA BORDER NOT TO BE OPENED UNLESS KARABAKH ISSUE RESOLVED, SAYS PM ERDOGAN

Cihan News Agency (CNA)
September 11, 2012 Tuesday
Turkey

GEBELE (CIHAN)- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday
said that it was out of question for Turkey to open its border with
Armenia unless the issue of Upper Karabakh was resolved primarily by
the Minsk Group.

Speaking at a joint press conference with the Azerbaijani President
Ilham Alivey at the end of a meeting of the Turkey-Azerbaijan High
Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Qabala, Erdogan stressed that
they have always made their remarks clear on Armenia during their
government and will never take a step to open the Turkey-Armenia
border unless the matter of Upper Karabakh was resolved.

"Our stance on Upper Karabakh will continue as in the past. As an
intervener in the process, we will continue to be on the side of
Azerbaijan," Erdogan indicated.

Answering a question on Turkey's investments in Azerbaijan, Erdogan
stated that their aim was to increase Turkish investments in Azerbaijan
to 20 billion USD.