OPENING BORDER BETWEEN TURKEY, ARMENIA MEANS RECOGNIZING OCCUPATION: BAYKAL

Xinhua General News Service
April 13, 2009 Monday
China

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party Leader Deniz
Baykal warned the government against making a very serious mistake
on the issue of re-opening the border with Armenia, local Daily News
reported on Monday.

As tensions mount between Turkey and Azerbaijan, Baykal told reporters
before his party’s meeting Saturday, "If the border is opened, the
occupation (of Upper Karabakh) will have been safeguarded."

The Upper Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia has been
going on for a long time. Both Azerbaijani leaders and public opinion
have expressed serious concerns over the possibility of the border
between Turkey and Armenia being re-opened.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev refused to attend the Alliance of
Civilizations summit in Istanbul earlier this month, a move that was
seen as a protest against the pending border move.

"Turkey closed its border with Armenia in protest of the occupation
of Azerbaijan," said Baykal, adding, "this has nothing to do with
historical conflict. The issue on the opening of the border can only
be considered with the occupation of Azerbaijan."

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan
during its conflict with Armenia over the Upper Karabakh region.

On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan confirmed in Istanbul
that his country has held talks with Armenia for months to normalize
ties.

"We are working on a comprehensive solution and our talks are going
well. We have made significant progress so far and both parties have
declared satisfaction over the process several times, " said Babacan.

U.S. President Barack Obama said during his visit in Ankara last
Monday that he was encouraged by the dialogues between Turkey and
Armenia aimed to improve ties.

He said that as Turkey and Armenia are having "serious negotiations"
that could bear fruit quickly, "I will be as encouraging as possible,"
adding the world should also encourage them.

Armenians claim that more than 1.5 million Armenians were killed in
a systematic genocide in the hands of the Ottomans during World War
I before modern Turkey was born in 1923.

But Turkey insists the Armenians were victims of widespread chaos
and governmental breakdown as the 600-year-old empire collapsed in
the years before 1923.