Hürriyet, Turkey
Dec 4 2008

Turkey not to open Armenia border until Azerbaijan’s integrity restored

The Turkish-Armenian border could be opened only after Armenia gives
up distorting history and restores Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity,
Turkish Trade Minister Kursad Tuzmen said. (UPDATED)

"We are open to developing relations with Armenia, to open borders,
and to develop trade," Tuzmen was quoted by Interfax as telling an
Azeri-Turkish business forum in Baku on Thursday.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties and their border has been
closed for more than a decade over Armenia’s aggression over
Azerbaijan.

"We do not oppose developing trade relations, which will have a
positive influence on the development of the whole region; however,
prior to this historians should solve some issues and Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity should be restored," Tuzmen added.

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia began in 1988 on Armenian
territorial claims over Azerbaijan. Since 1992 Armenian Armed Forces
have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and its seven surrounding districts.

Some 10 percent of the Azeri population was displaced due to a series
of bloody clashes both between and within the two neighboring
countries.

In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group are currently holding peaceful negotiations.

TURKISH FM MEETS ARMENIAN, AZERI FMS
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan met separately with Armenian
Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov to discuss the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict in Helsinki where the Organization for the Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) ministerial meeting is being held.

Foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met on Wednesday with
Russian, French and U.S. executives, the co-chairmen of OSCE Minsk
group.

Babacan’s talks with the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers
assessed the results of this meeting, Anatolian Agency reported.

The Turkish foreign minister was also scheduled to meet with the
Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group dealing with the issue in Helsinki on
Thursday.