TURKISH FM: "ARMENIA’S OCCUPYING AZERBAIJANI LANDS KEEPS THE BORDERS CLOSED"

Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 12 2006

Official Ankara announced that at least 40 thousand Armenians are
working in Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Ministry sent a letter related to the report released
by the European Parliament foreign affairs commission on Turkey,
APA’s Eastern Europe bureau reports.

The 22-page letter gives a detailed reply to the report drawn up by
Kamiel Eurlings, Dutch Christian-Democratic Party representative
at the European Parliament. The letter is addressed to European
parliamentarians defending Ankara during the discussion of the report
and to the Parliament political forces’ coordinators on Turkey.

Though it was an informative document, Ankara issued a political
statement declaring that it will not accept any status by full member
of the European Union.

The letter also touches on the Cyprus problem, Armenian problem and
Kurdish matter. It says that Turkey is the second state that recognized
Armenia’s independence after Latvia. It also reads the trade turnover
with Armenia reached to $120 million, and 40,000 Armenians are working
in Turkey.

"Despite all these, Armenia’s position is regrettable. Armenia has not
yet replied to Turkey’s offer to establish a commission of historians
from both countries. The European Parliament can influence Armenia
regarding this matter. As coming to closed border with Armenia, this
is because of Armenia’s occupying Azerbaijani province of Nagorno
Karabakh and refusing to recognize current borders of Turkey," the
letter underlines.

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