AZERBAIJAN BLACKMAILS TURKEY OVER ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER OPENING

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.03.2009 14:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey should think a lot before opening the border
with Armenia, an Azeri expert said.

"Azerbaijan is Turkey’s fraternal state and strategic ally. Opening the
border with Armenia, Turkey will lose Azerbaijan. It means that Turkey
will lose the outlet to Central Asia and Caucasus," Arif Keskin said.

If Turkey opens the border, Azerbaijan will re-direct its energy
policy, according to him.

"The Turkish route will lose significance for Azerbaijan, which
will direct its energy flows through Georgia to Ukraine. Moreover,
Azerbaijan will establish closer ties with Georgia to push Turkish
business out of the country. The risk is great," he said.

"Turkey’s normalization of relations with Armenia should run parallel
to resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Otherwise, Ankara will
lose its influence on the Turkic world," Keskin said, 1news.az reports.