Anadolu Agency, Turkey
May 16 2009
TURKEY WILL NOT OPEN BORDERS WITH ARMENIA UNLESS UPPER KARABAKH
PROBLEM SOLVED
ISTANBUL (A.A) – 16.05.2009 – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said on Saturday that closure of Turkish-Armenian border was
related to Upper Karabakh, "Turkey will not open its border gates with
Armenia unless this problem is solved," he added. Erdogan responded
to questions of journalists prior to his departure for Russian
Federation.
When a journalist said, "during your visit to Azerbaijan, you said
Turkey would not open border with Armenia unless Upper Karabakh
problem is solved. Armenian President said Turkey’s intervening in
Upper Karabakh would not bring peace there," Erdogan said, "being a
regional country, it is regardless of question for Turkey to remain
silent on Upper Karabakh matter. Turkey closed borders with Armenia as
a result of interventions there."
Commenting on Nabucco, Erdogan said the project has 6 partners and
Turkey was one of them. He said Turkey was not a supplier country, but
a transit country.
Erdogan said European Union (EU) and European Commission member
countries should speed up infrastructure works with the related
countries to procure fund.
Erdogan said, "infrastructure works should start quickly. European
Commission should make a decision for this and accelerate the
process. Turkey is ready to fulfill its obligations." (AY)