ARMENIA BLOCKS TURKISH ELECTION OBSERVERS
Turkish Press
May 7 2007
YEREVAN – Armenia said on Monday it had refused visas to eight Turkish
election observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation
in Europe who were due to monitor parliamentary polls.
"We do not consider it proper that Turkish representatives carry out
monitoring in Armenia… due to the lack of diplomatic relations,"
between the two countries, foreign ministry spokesman Vladimir
Karapetyan told AFP.
The two neighbours have no diplomatic relations and their common
border has remained closed for more than a decade.
Armenia, an ex-Soviet state in the Caucasus mountains, holds
parliamentary elections on Saturday.
A top official at the Vienna-based OSCE said Monday that he was
concerned about Armenia’s decision.
"Preventing some observers from participating contradicts the
principles of transparency and objectivity which are an indispensable
aspect of democratic elections," OSCE director for democratic
institutions Christian Strohal said in a statement.