Only one in four Turks supports opening border with ArmeniaJanuary 7, 2011 - 13:26 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Only one in four Turks supports a quick and unconditional opening of Turkey’s border with Armenia, according to a new opinion poll released on January 5, 2011. The nationwide poll conducted by the Ankara-based MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center and published by Today’s Zaman daily gauged Turkish public opinion on a wide range of domestic and foreign policy issues, including Turkish-Armenian relations. When asked whether the land border between the two neighboring countries, which Turkey closed in 1993, should be reopened, 50.3 percent of respondents said “no.” More than 27 percent said “yes,” while the remaining 22 percent had no answer. These findings of the survey are in tune with the apparent public sentiment in Armenia. An opinion poll conducted there by the non-governmental Armenian Marketing Association (AMA) about a year ago found that only one-third of Armenians want to have an open border with Turkey, while those who are firmly or mostly against make up just over 30 percent of the country’s population. According to the AMA Most of those polled did not share Western governments’ and lending institutions’ belief that border opening would have a quick and highly positive impact on the Armenian economy, Asbarez.com reported. 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 | Mirzoyan says meeting with Bayramov was “constructive” At the moment, Ararat Mirzoyan said, there is no basis for additional comments. OSCE vows support for Armenia “in all three directions of security” Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. 151 detained as civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan Citizens have been blocking streets in the Armenian capital, demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. France welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in Almaty France has welcomed the new round of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. |