IPR Strategic Business Information Database
April 21, 2004

UPPER KARABAKH ISSUE MUST BE RESOLVED BEFORE ARMENIAN BORDER CAN BE
OPENED

According to Turkiye, commenting on recent rumors that the border
between Turkey and Armenia would be opened, Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul said that Ankara first wanted Azerbaijan and Armenia to reach a
settlement on the upper Karabakh issue and was making efforts towards
this end. Urging all observers to take lessons from a possible Cyprus
settlement, Gul stated that Turkey didn’dt want the upper Karabakh
issue to remain unresolved, explaining. The foreign minister also
added that during Istanbul’ds NATO summit this June, a tripartite
meeting could be held to discuss the issue.