Rapprochement With Armenia Depends On Karabakh Settlement – Erdogan

RAPPROCHEMENT WITH ARMENIA DEPENDS ON KARABAKH SETTLEMENT – ERDOGAN

Fri 11 December 2009 | 12:48 GMT

Recep Tayyip Erdogan The normalization of relations with Armenia
depends on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, Turkish PM Recep
Tayyip Erdogan told Russia Today.

In a wide-ranging interview published on 10 December, Erdogan was
asked if Armenia would give up its claims so that Turkey could open
up its borders.

"As an act of goodwill, we have extended a peaceful hand to them,
regardless of whether they accept it or not," Erdogan said. "Before
anything else, however, there is the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh and
Azerbaijan, the issue of the frozen conflict must be first dealt with.

And then, we will usher in a new era."