Turkish FM: "Armenia's occupying Azerbaijani lands keeps the borders closed"

Turkish Foreign Ministry sent a letter related to the report released by the European Parliament foreign affairs commission on Turkey, APA's Eastern Europe bureau reports.

The 22-page letter gives a detailed reply to the report drawn up by Kamiel Eurlings, Dutch Christian-Democratic Party representative at the European Parliament. The letter is addressed to European parliamentarians defending Ankara during the discussion of the report and to the Parliament political forces' coordinators on Turkey.

Though it was an informative document, Ankara issued a political statement declaring that it will not accept any status by full member of the European Union.

The letter also touches on the Cyprus problem, Armenian problem and Kurdish matter. It says that Turkey is the second state that recognized Armenia's independence after Latvia. It also reads the trade turnover with Armenia reached to $120 million, and 40,000 Armenians are working in Turkey.

"Despite all these, Armenia's position is regrettable. Armenia has not yet replied to Turkey's offer to establish a commission of historians from both countries. The European Parliament can influence Armenia regarding this matter. As coming to closed border with Armenia, this is because of Armenia's occupying Azerbaijani province of Nagorno Karabakh and refusing to recognize current borders of Turkey," the letter underlines.