...

Opening of Armenian-Turkish borders to harm relations between Azerbaijan, Turkey: Turkish opposition leader

Politics Materials 10 April 2009 16:31 (UTC +04:00)
Opening of Armenian-Turkish borders to harm relations between Azerbaijan, Turkey: Turkish opposition leader

Opening of the Armenian-Turkish borders will damage the relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, the Turkish NTV channel quoted Turkish opposition Republic party Leader Deniz Baykal as saying.

"Opening of borders with Armenia will have a negative influence to the relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan," Baykal said at a news conference in Mersin.

Armenian-Turkish ties have been severed since 1993 due to Armenia's claims of an alleged genocide, and the country's occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Yerevan on Sept. 6, 2008 upon the invitation of his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisyan to watch an Armenia-Turkey football match.

Efforts have been made to normalize ties between the two countries ever since

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Latest

Latest