Opening of Turkish-Armenian border before the end of occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia is against Azerbaijan's interests - Foreign Ministry

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Sunday after the signing of Turkish-Armenian protocols aimed at normalizing relations in Zurich.

"Regarding the signing of a protocol on establishing diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia and on the development of bilateral relations on Oct. 10 this year in Switzerland Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan considers it appropriate to report the following.

Azerbaijan's position on this issue is unambiguous. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in protest against the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia and aggression towards Azerbaijan. As a result of Armenian aggression 20% of Azerbaijani lands were occupied, nearly one million citizens of Azerbaijan were victims of ethnic purges and have become refugees and internally displaced persons and at the occupied territories have been destroyed historical and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan. During this time, Armenia does not attach importance to numerous documents and resolutions adopted by the Security Council and UN General Assembly, the OSCE, PACE and other international organizations that condemn the aggressive policy of Armenia, demand the withdrawal of Armenian forces from occupied Azerbaijani territories and return of refugees to their homeland and no progress has been reached to eliminate the results of this aggression.

In connection with this matter Azerbaijani side refers to the numerous statements by senior officials of the Turkish Republic and the Prime Minister Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in particular to his words during a speech May 14, 2009 in Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan Republic, "Turkey closed its border with Armenia after its occupation of Azerbaijani lands. The boundaries can be opened after the removal of the occupation. As long as the requirements of our Azerbaijani brothers will not be satisfied, we will not retreat from this position one step. It is interconnected and can not be considered separately", as well as the organized September 17, 2009 Year iftar with the Turkish media, "We can not open the borders until the long conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia will not be resolved ... We can not take this step without solving this problem."

As we have repeatedly noted, the definition of relations of one state with others is the sovereign right of the state. However, normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia before the withdrawal of Armenian forces from occupied Azerbaijani territory is in direct contradiction with the interests of Azerbaijan and overshadows the spirit of brotherly relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, built on deep historical roots. Taking into account the importance of opening all borders and communications in the region, Azerbaijan believes that the opening of Turkish-Armenian border unilaterally call into question the architecture of peace and stability in the region " said the statement.