Turkish politicians says opening border with Armenia ‘out of question’

November 18, 2014 - 15:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Opening of Armenian-Turkish border is out of the question, a board member of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Mazhar Bagli, said.

According to Trend news agency, Bagli said Turkey “will never take steps aimed against the interests of Azerbaijan.”

"Turkey is willing to have good relations with all neighbor states and always supported the interests of Azerbaijan, never taking any steps against the brotherly nation," he said.

As to the recent remarks by former Turkish ambassador to Baku, Unal Cevikoz, regarding opening of the border to normalize relations with Armenia, Bagli said that everyone in Turkey “has the right to express views on various issues.”

Turkey closed the border with Armenia in 1993 to support Azerbaijani during the Artsakh liberation war. Guarded by Russian and Armenian troops, it’s currently the only closed border in Europe.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.