Azerbaijan blackmails Turkey over Armenian-Turkish border opening

March 18, 2009 - 14:50 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey should think a lot before opening the border with Armenia, an Azeri expert said.



"Azerbaijan is Turkey's fraternal state and strategic ally. Opening the border with Armenia, Turkey will lose Azerbaijan. It means that Turkey will lose the outlet to Central Asia and Caucasus," Arif Keskin said.



If Turkey opens the border, Azerbaijan will re-direct its energy policy, according to him.



"The Turkish route will lose significance for Azerbaijan, which will direct its energy flows through Georgia to Ukraine. Moreover, Azerbaijan will establish closer ties with Georgia to push Turkish business out of the country. The risk is great," he said.



"Turkey's normalization of relations with Armenia should run parallel to resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Otherwise, Ankara will lose its influence on the Turkic world," Keskin said, 1news.az reports.
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