Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 25 / Trend M.Aliyev /
"Opening the Armenian-Turkish border would neither meet the interests of Turkey nor Azerbaijan," Presidential Administration Social and Political Department head Ali Hasanov told journalists today. "Doing so would simply untie the hands of the occupying regime."
Earlier, media reported that Turkey may temporarily open the border on Sept. 11- 17 as part of the NATO military exercises in Armenia. However, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu denied the rumors.
Hasanov added that opening the border would only allow Armenia to continue its nonconstructive position in the negotiations to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"We have shared our thoughts with the Turkish officials," he said. "Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul have repeatedly stated that the Turkey-Armenia border will not open until Armenia reaches a constructive position on Nagorno-Karabakh. We believe that the border will not open until all of the conditions are fulfilled."
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey were severed in 1993 due to Armenia's claims of an alleged genocide and its occupation of Azerbaijani lands.
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 seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the United States - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.
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