OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER IS NOT ADVANTAGEOUS FOR TURKEY – TURKISH EXPERT

YEREVAN, October 13. /ARKA/. Opening of Armenian-Turkish border is not an economical but a political and geopolitical issue, informed Sinan Ogan, President of Turkish Center of International Relations and Strategic Analysis on Tuesday in the international press-center “Novosti” during Yerevan-Ankara-Moscow video-bridge “New geopolitical situation in the East: Armenian-Turkish relations, problems and history”.

In East Anatolia which borders with Armenia, mostly agriculture is developed and there is no industry.

“In Armenia the prices of agricultural products are lower two times than in Turkey. From economical point of view opening of the border is not advantageous for Turkey”, he said.

Natalia Ulchenko, Head of Turkish Department of Russian Institute of Oriental Studies said that development of economical relations between Armenia and Turkey will open large opportunities and is not limited only by the trade of products of plant growing and poultry between East Turkey and Armenia.

“The announcement that opening of Armenian-Turkish border is not an economical, but political and geopolitical issue could only make a person living in prosperous Istanbul. In other regions of Turkey, for example, East Anatolia, there could be quite another opinion regarding this issue”, said Ulchenko.

Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Turkey Edward Nalbandyan and Ahmed Davutoghlu signed “Protocol on establishment of diplomatic relations” and “Protocol on development of mutual relations» on October 10, Saturday, in Zurich. Then these documents should be approved by the parliaments of both countries. Armenian-Turkish border was closed since 1993 by the official initiative of Ankara. Complicated relations between two countries were due to the fact that Ankara supported Azerbaijan in Karabakh problem and also an acute reaction of Turkey on the process of international recognition of Armenian Genocide of 1915 in Ottoman Empire. --0--