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Turkish journalists and business people working in Azerbaijan are against the opening of borders with Armenia

08 April 2009 10:07 (UTC +04:00)

â€œThis decision will not be in favor of Turkey. Turkish officials must think about that once more before making the decisionâ€. Unlubostan said Turkey had very experienced diplomacy and recent statements by the president and prime minister of Turkey made him to conclude that they wouldnâ€™t agree with the opening of the borders. â€œAbdullah Gul said that there was no such agreement with Armenia. I donâ€™t think that the borders will be opened easily after those statements. There were two reasons for closing of the borders: false â€œgenocideâ€ claims and Karabakh issue. The Armenian side made no progress toward both issues, and there are no changes in the reasons forwarded for the opening of the bordersâ€.

Head of the Turkish Radio Televisionâ€™s (TRT) Office in Baku Muhsin Yildirim told APA that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the issue of border opening reasonably clear in London. â€œThe Prime Minister said that any agreement would be out of question before the solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict. He said Turkey was always supporting Azerbaijanâ€.

Editor-in-Chief of â€œZaman Azerbaijanâ€ newspaper Enes Cansever also told APA that he was very sorry about the reports of opening of the Turkish-Armenian borders. â€œI, as individual, made my best efforts to prevent realization of this event. Azerbaijanâ€™s concern is my concernâ€. Cansever said recently they organized the visit of a group of Turkish journalists to inform the Turkish community about the Azerbaijanâ€™s problems and concerns. â€œI express it in all my publications. I have information that there will be some innovation in this issue regarding the Barack Obamaâ€™s visit to Turkey. But I donâ€™t leave my hopes. I donâ€™t believe that Turkey will do it because it never betrayed Azerbaijan. There was no such case in the historyâ€. Cansever said the Armenian issue was not related only to Azerbaijan. â€œThe Armenian issue is the occupation of Karabakh, false â€œArmenian genocideâ€ and territorial claims against Turkeyâ€. In this regard, Turkey will lose in two issues. How will Turkey explain it to its people, to outs citizens? I donâ€™t believe that Turkey will make step to please the Armeniansâ€.

Head of â€œDialogue Eurasiaâ€ organization Mustafa Saatci told APA that Turkish senior officials had not confirmed the reports that Turkey-Armenia borders would be reopened.
â€œTurkish President Abdullah Gul refuted the reports on the reopening of the borders. Prime Minister Erdogan said real steps will not be taken in the region in this direction, unless Nagorno Karabakh conflict is solved. I think if the situation contradicts these statements, it will be a historical mistake. It is not right to discuss such an issue, unless Nagorno Karabakh and other territories are released, Armenian genocide claims and territorial claims against Turkey are given up. It would be one of the most erroneous steps taken by AKP government,â€ he said.

Turkish businessman working in Azerbaijan, representative of Turkish Music Union for Azerbaijan Kamal Cenk Icten also has a low opinion of the issue on reopening of Turkey-Armenia borders. He told APA that it was impossible to forget the tragedies committed by Armenians against the entire Turkic world.
â€œWe should not forget the actions committed by Armenians against Azerbaijan on Karabakh issue. I protest against the reopening of the borders and will never support this step. As a Turkish and Muslim I expressed my protest against this issue and continue to do it,â€ he said.

Chairman of Management Board of Cag Ogretim Ishletmeleri LLC Enver Ozeren said the company has been operating in Azerbaijan, teaching Azerbaijani children and informing the world of Azerbaijani truths with the help of the graduates for 17 years. The statement sent to APA by Ozeren on behalf of the staff, says that the company has been serving basing on the slogan â€œOne nation, two statesâ€.
â€œReopening of Turkey-Armenia borders is inadmissible, if Turkey takes this step before the occupied Azerbaijani are released, it will certainly damage the relations between the two fraternal states. We live in Azerbaijan. We are together with Azerbaijani people. We felt pride that the people believed Azerbaijani state and Turkey will together restore the historical justice, the occupied territories will be liberated. But media reports that Turkey will reopen borders with Armenia cause serious concern. These efforts do not reflect the will of multinational peoples living in Turkey. Cag Ogretim company on behalf of teachers, students and parents of 11 lyceums, 1 gymnasium, 12 course of preparation for higher education and Gafgaz University calls on Turkey to preserve the objectivity demonstrated towards Armeniaâ€™s aggressive policy,â€ the statement says.