Turkish MFA denies possibility to open border with Armenia

November 8, 2013 - 16:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Turkish Foreign Ministry denied media reports suggesting that Ankara is trying to obtain Azeri consent for opening the border with Armenia.

According to Trend News, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Levent Gumrukcu refuted the reports.

As Turkish embassy in Azerbaijan noted, the Armenian-Turkish talks are held parallel to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement negotiations, with Ankara repeatedly stating the above.

"Turkey closely follows the OSCE Minsk Group’s activities and is ready to take any steps for rapid resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict," the embassy stressed.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu hinted at a possibility of opening the Armenian-Turkish border during a meeting of the parliamentary committee on foreign relations.

According to Akşam newspaper, Nationalist Movement Party member Sinan Ogan asked the minister whether the works carried out near the Armenian-Turkish border in Igdir province, as well as railway repair might imply opening of the border.

Davutoglu confirmed the possibility of opening the border before 2015 and said he will visit Baku in the near future to discuss the issue with the Azerbaijani leadership.

At the same time, he again linked opening of the border with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, saying: “If Armenia withdraws troops from Karabakh, we will open the border and restore railway communication.”

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The Armenian-Turkish Protocols

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

Commenting on the CC ruling, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “it contains preconditions and restrictive provisions which impair the letter and spirit of the Protocols.” ”The decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these Protocols as well as their fundamental objective. This approach cannot be accepted on our part. Turkey, in line with its accustomed allegiance to its international commitments, maintains its adherence to the primary provisions of these Protocols. We expect the same allegiance from the Armenian government,” the Ministry said.