Volkan Vural: Ankara should establish diplomatic relations with Yerevan without wasting timeSeptember 15, 2008 - 17:12 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The recent visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul to Armenia can serve as a basis for further development of relations between the two states, said Volkan Vural, the Turkish Ambassador to Armenia in 1991-93. "Diplomatic relations between the two countries must be established, without wasting any time," he said, adding that the opening of the border with Armenia would not only benefit Armenia, but also Turkey. The former ambassador said that Turkey lost a golden opportunity to establish relations with Armenia when the Soviet Union collapsed. "If Turkey had established diplomatic relations with Armenia in 1991, perhaps it would have averted the Karabakh conflict," he said. Vulral added that the establishment of diplomatic relations would also benefit Azerbaijan. "As to territorial claims, Turkey has an army equal in amount to the entire population of Armenia. So, we must feel safe," he said, Taraf Turkish newspaper reports. Volkan Vural was the only Turkey's ambassador to Armenia with residence in Moscow while Yerevan wasn't represented in Ankara even at the level of Charge d'Affaires. Presently, Karen Mirzoyan, Armenia's representative to the BSEC (residence in Istanbul), is the only Armenian diplomat in Turkey. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |