NO OPEN BORDER WITHOUT KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLVED, HALIL AKINCI STATES

news.am
May 10 2010
Armenia

At a press conference on the Turkey-Russia relations, Turkish
Ambassador to Russia Halil Akinci touched upon the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process and Armenia-Turkey relations.

According to Turkish sources, Ambassador Akinci pointed out Russia
full support for the Armenia-Turkey normalization and border opening,
saying: "However, Russia’s stance is that the Karabakh conflict and
Armenia-Turkey Protocols are not interrelated. France and U.S. also
are committed to this principle. On the other hand, we have friendly
relations with Azerbaijan and we have to maintain a balance in the
Karabakh issue. The Protocols are postponed, but not withdrawn. The
leaders of the states may put the documents on the agenda at any
politically convenient moment."

According to him, Yerevan’s demands are unacceptable to Turkey as the
RA Constitutional Court added its own interpretation of the Protocols
which lead to a serious problem. The Turkish-Armenian border was
closed because of Karabakh. How can the border ne reopened without a
breakthrough in the Karabakh peace process? It should be remembered
why the border was closed," Akinci noted.