Trend, Azerbaijan
May 16 2009

Turkey-Armenia border to be opened only after Nagorno-Karabakh’s
occupation ends: Erdogan

16.05.09 11:49

Turk.net quoted Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying
that position of French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Turkey’s EU
admission is unstable.

Erdogan participated at a conference in Gdansk University in Poland
and answered students’ questions.

Erdogan said "Sarkozy makes different statements when we meet and when
we are apart." "This is that the position that we do not want to see."

Erdogan said the EU is not obliged to announce Turkey a member, but
the union must make concrete statements whether it wants to admit
Turkey as full-right member or not.

"Is Turkish population concerned about the EU or the union is
concerned that great part of Turkish population is Muslims?" Erdogan
said.

Erdogan said positive steps have been taken in Turkey-Armenia ties.

"We are all concerned about the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. We can
not ignore this issue," he said.

Erdogan said Turkey closed border with Armenia after
Nagorno-Karabakh’s occupation and added that the borders will be
opened only after the occupation ends.

Erdogan said Armenia is experiencing hard times and if Turkey wants it
can send back 40,000 Armenians, but Turkey’s humaneness does not allow
doing it.

Erdogan said he hopes the Cyprus problems will be solved soon. Turkey
wants to become EU member in 50 years.

"If Turkey does not become part of the EU, the union will be only
"Christian Club". This is reality," he said.

Erdogan said Turkey makes every effort to be admitted to the
EU. However the country does not feel this process and is not
confident that all EU members will recognize it. Erdogan headed for
Turkey after the conference.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress