TURKEY’S PRIME MINISTER UNLIKE ARMENIA’ PRESIDENT IS NOT OPTIMISTIC IN RESPECT TO OPENING THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER
Noyan Tapan
Apr 15, 2009
Ankara, April 15, Noyan Tapan. Since the conflict over Nagorno
Karabakh has not been settled yet, no agreement can be signed in
respect to opening the Armenian-Turkish border. This was stated by
the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as Turkish media
outlets report. Answering to the question raised by journalists,
"Are you joining to the recent statement of the president of Armenia
Serzh Sargsian, according to which Armenia’s president was hopeful,
that the Turkish-Armenian border might open before the soccer match
between the national teams of Turkey and Armenia in Istanbul in
October", prime minister Tayyip Erdogan stated:
"What you have said I treat as news disseminated by the media. You
take into consideration news coming from here and there, without
listening to what the prime minister of the Turkey is saying. The
agreement between Turkey and Armenia will not be signed unless the
consent is reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the settlement
of Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. This issue is absolutely linked to the
resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict," stated Tayyip Erdogan.
He added, that the possible visit of the Armenian president to Turkey
to attend a national soccer game does not mean "a development in the
process of resolution of the problem".
"Because our president did not go there for that purpose," stressed
the prime minister of Turkey.