ERDOGAN POINTS TO INDIRECT MENTION OF AZERBAIJAN IN ARMENIA-TURKEY PROTOCOLS

Tert.am
13:11 14.04.10

The Armenia-Turkey border will not open until Armenia and Azerbaijan
reach an agreement over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkish
HaberTurk quotes Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying.

"There is a very important point next to the expression ‘without
pre-conditions’ in the text of the Protocols signed in Zurich:
to establish regional peace. And can Azerbaijan be ignored in the
context of the thesis of ‘regional peace’? Azerbaijan is part of that
regional peace. For that reason it is necessary that the conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan be resolved, that an agreement be
reached between the sides … First of all, why was the Armenia-Turkey
border closed. That is to say why was it closed in 1993? The border was
closed due to the event that broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

And for the border to be opened now we certainly think it is necessary
that an agreement be reached over this issue so that to pave the way
for the establishment of peace. The US, France and Russia make active
efforts for the purpose, and I suppose that with God’s will they will
reach the desirable results," said Erdogan.

Turkish Prime Minister also expressed hope that the Turkish parliament
might quicken the ratification of the Protocols, should there be any
progress in the Armenian-Turkish normalization.