Azerbaijan, Baku, Apr. 3 / Trend , R.Hafizoglu/
Turkish President Abdullah Gul denied reports that the Armenian-Turkish border will be opened in near future. He made the statement on Apr. 3 prior to his visit to Germany to attend the NATO anniversary summit, the CNN Turk reported.
"Reports in the world media that Turkey will soon open borders on Armenia are false," Gul said.
Turkey is seeking for peace and stability in the Caucasus and attaches great importance to maintaining friendly relations with all countries in the region, he said.
Turkey and Armenia are attempting to normalize their relations, which were severed in 1993.
Diplomatic ties were severed due to Armenia's anti-Turkey campaign and occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul accepted the proposal of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to visit Yerevan to watch a football match between the two countries on Sept. 6, 2008. After the visit, efforts to normalize relations have been underway.
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.
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