Turkey recognized independence of Armenia like it did with the rest Soviet republics after the USSR collapse. Turkey decided to open the General Consulate in Yerevan, when I worked the adviser envoy in Moscow in January 1992 and I was even offered to be a consul in Yerevan, Turkish ambassador in Russia Halil Akinci said.
He reminded that Turkey supplied electric power to Armenia until 1992 since they had some problems. 'It was decided to close the border with the growing clashes in Karabakh and start of occupation of lands around Karabakh by Armenia in May 1993. If we understand now why the border was closed, it will become clear why it must not open. The border will open only after Armenia withdraws from the occupied Azerbaijani lands.
I would like to note that the possible opening of borders and restoration of relations will occur only in the result of this process. This is not contained in the protocol but it is envisioned. When progress is fixed in the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the way to resolution of the Karabakh conflict and the situation changes, we will act in line with the situation'.
The ambassador also added that Russia maintains warm relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"The Minsk group takes efforts to settle this issue but this takes place slowly. The next statement has been adopted in Almaty just recently. It is clear that Russia, US and France try to influence Armenia through persuasion, but I think they could act more intensively since the Armenian side is a source of a conflict here.
The Minsk Group is trying to take a neutral position in this issue but in this connection I would like to list the famous statement of Churchill who said: 'One cannot be neutral between firemen and fire, one can be on firemen’s side'".
1 news.az
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