DEPUTY OF THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT: OPENING OF THE TURKEY-ARMENIA BORDER TO LEAD TO THE WAR BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA

Azerbaijan Business Center
April 16 2009

The one-day forum entitled "Turkey and Azerbaijan: Common Interests
and Problems" organized to discuss opening of the Turkey-Armenia
border ended in Baku.

Shukru Alekdag, Turkish Parliament Deputy from oppositional Republican
People’s Party (CHP), said the statement saying that opening of the
Turkey-Armenia border would bring peace into the region is false;
on the contrary, that will intensify the fight between Azerbaijan
and Armenia right up to resumption of the war between them.

"95% of Turkish society is against opening of the Turkey-Armenia
border. Recently Turkish Government was talking about impossibility
of opening of the border with Armenia unless Nagorno-Karabakh is
released," Elekdag said. CHP was established by legendary founder of
the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

"In the near future Turkish Government will not open the borders. Even
if the Government intended to open the border with Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Turkish communities made it refuse from the idea. So, I assume
the Turkish Government will not come back to this issue in the near
future," Atilla Gaya, Chairman of the National Movement Party (MHP),
noted.

In his view, Turkey will not open the border with Armenia until it
releases Azerbaijan’s occupied lands and recognizes its territorial
integrity.

"During the forum Turkish and Azerbaijan deputies agreed the parties
will discuss the two countries’ positions at the international arena,
Turkey will keep supporting Azerbaijan’s policy regarding the occupied
lands, non-admission of opening of the Turkey-Armenia border until
the UN four resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are fulfilled,
continuing parliamentary discussions on single positions concerning
different matters." Elekdag said.