NO BORDER OPENING WITHOUT RATIFICATION OF ARMENIA PROTOCOLS, TOP TURKISH DIPLOMAT SAYS

Today’s Zaman
April 19 2010
Turkey

Turkish foreign minister on Monday said Turkey would not open its
borders with Armenia until the ratification of two protocols the two
countries signed to normalize their relations.

"It is out of the agenda of Turkey to open its border gate without
the ratification of the protocols," Ahmet Davutoglu told a joint
press conference with Iraqi Vice-President Tariq al-Hashimi after
their meeting in Ankara, the Turkish capital.

Davutoglu was responding to a question over a remark made by Armenian
president who reportedly said earlier that border crossing might be
opened without the ratification of the protocols.

Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols in October 2009 in Switzerland
to normalize their relations, including the reopening of a border
crossing, and resume diplomatic relations.

Turkey shut down its border gate and cut off diplomatic ties with
Yerevan in 1993 after Armenian army forces occupied Azerbaijan’s
Karabakh region.

Davutoglu said "integrated steps" were needed to achieve a
comprehensive settlement in the Caucasus that included Turkey-Armenia
relations, adding that Turkey was committed to the implementation of
the protocols and the normalization process.

The Turkish minister said his country was conducting close
consultations with Azerbaijan over Ankara’s dealings with Armenia.

Turkey signed the protocols after "long and careful considerations,"
Davutoglu said ahead of a visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, where he was
set to meet Azeri President Ilham Aliyev.

"We are positive on the process and we have full confidence that in
the end it would lead us to a point," Davutoglu said.