TURKISH STATE MINISTER: IF EUROPE WANTS TO OPEN THE BORDER WITH ARMENIA, THEY SHOULD PUT PRESSURE ON IT TO WITHDRAW ITS TROOPSFROM THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF AZERBAIJAN
Today.Az
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May 19 2009
Azerbaijan
"Turkey’s patience is not unlimited, and Turkey is not going to make
more concessions, if it does not see the counter-steps from the EU",
said Turkish state minister Bagysh Egemen.
"We have done everything that the EU demanded from us. We even made
such concessions, which are, frankly speaking, not entirely consistent
with our national interests. We were at a point of quarreling with
our Azerbaijani brothers, and in a response we have seen statements
by Sarkozy and Merkel that they do not want to see Turkey in the EU",
he said.
As for the Armenian-Turkish dialogue, the state minister stated that
"the border with Armenia will be opened only after the liberation of
the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. "Only in this way can we open
the borders", he stressed.
But, he said, however, Turkey will do its utmost to attract
the attention of Europe and the international community to this
problem. "If Europe wants to open the border with Armenia, they
could put pressure on it to withdraw from the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan", said Boris Egemen.