AMBASSADOR OF TURKEY IN RUSSIA: DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA SHOULD BE RESTORED

Today.Az
cs/52591.html
May 26 2009
Azerbaijan

But on par with the settlement of the problem of Karabakh and
Armenian-Azerbaijani relations

"Turkey holds an optimal policy towards Armenia", said Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkey to Russia Khalil Akinci
during an Internet-conference on RBK website.

According to him, the problems between Turkey and Armenia are not only
the closed borders. "There are relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan,
about which we say that we are one nation and two states", said Akinci.

In addition, he said, there is a difference in the interpretation of
some events in history.

"Turkey has recently conducted such a policy of eliminating problems
with neighbors and Turkey has made much efforts in this direction. For
example, air flights are carried from Armenia to Istanbul. The land
border is closed, but the air communication is open.

On the other hand, look what Armenia is doing. Diplomatic relations
should be restored, but on par with the settlement of the problems
of Karabakh and Armenian-Azerbaijani relations", said the ambassador.

"Turkey has demonstrated good will and last year our president went
to Yerevan for a football match as a spectator. We are realists
in this matter and we hold the optimal policy towards Armenia. But
Armenia should understand that it must also take some steps. We wish
sincerely that the borders in the Caucasus were open and all were
friends to each others", noted the diplomat.

The Ambassador also recalled that after the August events of last year,
when the clash between Russia and Georgia occurred, Turkey proposed
the initiative a platform of stability and cooperation in the Caucasus.