Turkish Minister of State: Turkey-Armenia borders will be opened a day after Armenia and Azerbaijan shake hands

“Turkey and Armenia had the chance to work together in order to prevent people, nations and countries from suffering more in the future”, Turkish State Minister Egemen Bagis told Turkish, Armenian and US journalists, “Anatolia” news agency reported.

On the 1915 incidents, Bagis said that both Turkish and Armenian peoples had suffered in those years, however, the history could not be changed, adding that the two parties still had the chance to work together. Bagis said that Turkey wanted "zero problem" with its neighbors, adding that Turkey also wanted its neighbors to have "zero problem” with their own neighbors, too.

On when the border between Turkey and Armenia could be opened, Bagis said that he thought it would be opened one day after Armenia and Azerbaijan shook hands.

Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic or economic ties since Armenia declared independence in 1991. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 to support Azerbaijan, which had a territorial conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Ankara said the border could be opened only after the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the disputed land.

Turkey and Armenia signed protocols to normalize relations and open borders last year, but the pacts need to be approved by both countries’ parliaments before taking effect.


/APA/