Turkey can initially open border with Armenia once a month

PanARMENIAN.Net - On April 28 National Security Council of Turkey will discuss the border opening with Armenia. They say council will also discuss amnesty for the members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and deployment of Turkish troops in Afghanistan.



The meeting will take place under the leadership of President Abdullah Gul. They will focus on relations with Azerbaijan and border opening with Armenia. Until recently, Ankara said Armenian withdrawal from Nagorno Karabakh is a precondition for the restoration of ties with Yerevan. For the last several months, Ankara and Yerevan are engaged in closed-door negotiations to normalize relations.



The General Staff and the government agree that Turkey should not open its border with Armenia without the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh dispute. As the first step for normalization, Ankara has asked Yerevan to allow Azerbaijanis who were displaced from five settlements in Karabakh to return to these places. The formation of a security corridor in Karabakh is among the proposals of the Turkish government. If Armenia accepts preconditions, Turkey will initially open the Turkish-Armenia border once a month and then twice a month. Once there are established ties with Armenia and the area is secure, the border gate will be open 24 hours a day, Zaman reports.