Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Sept 6 2009

Azerbaijan: No resolution, no border opening

Sunday, September 6, 2009
ANKARA ` Anatolia news agency

The Azerbaijani ambassador in Ankara, Zakir Hashimov, said Saturday
that the foreign ministries of Turkey and Azerbaijan had discussed
Turkish-Armenian relations over the phone and reached a common
understanding.

Speaking to reporters at a fast-breaking dinner in Ankara, Hashimov
indicated that the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border prior to the
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue would be against Azerbaijan’s
interests.

`As Turkish President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip ErdoÄ?an said, we believe that the [Turkey-Armenia]
border will not get opened unless the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is
resolved,’ Hashimov said.

Asked what he thinks about the two protocols signed by Turkey and
Armenia, Hashimov said: `Turkey is a great country. It is Turkey’s own
business to decide with which countries it establishes relations.’