MP from My Step Bloc: Closing of Borders Not Solely Related to Artsakh War Consequences

The Foreign Minister probably meant that Turkey has always used the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, referred to as occupied, as a pretext for border issues. This was stated by My Step bloc MP Hovhannes Igityan during a conversation with journalists in the National Assembly on February 11, commenting on Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan's statement from the previous day that Turkey has no reason to keep its border with Armenia closed anymore.

“But I believe that the current closure of the borders is not only connected to the consequences of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. It seems to me that the relations between Armenia and Turkey are far from being friendly. A long time must pass, and changes must happen in Turkey before we can see it as a straightforward country, let alone a neighboring country. I do not see that atmosphere in Turkey. I follow not only the statements of Erdoğan or Çavuşoğlu but also those of Devlet Bahçeli, who heads a party in the ruling coalition. These are quite concerning, and I would say, racist,” he said.

When asked whether Armenia has demands from Turkey, specifically regarding the recognition of the Genocide, Igityan replied: “Of course, but we are not asking Turkey for recognition of the Genocide. It is a proven fact, confirmed by many countries. When Turkey comes to understand or when the pressure is strong enough for them to recognize it, they will, but we are not asking Turkey to recognize it. We have never asked. We are not alone in understanding this fact correctly. Many important countries and international organizations have recognized it. In this political clamor, which I consider to be unproductive noise, we are losing the truth. And the truth is the assessment of what happened. What occurred is that Azerbaijan violated all agreements, and Turkey, by violating all resolutions and international law, directly participated in the war, using NATO's most modern weapons. Jihadist mercenaries were employed. Instead of trying to raise this issue in international forums, we have fallen into this dilemma of ‘stay or leave,’ or ‘I will stay, I won’t stay’ debate. It seems to me that the political life should follow its course, but we should not forget to create the agenda that can rectify the situation,” he emphasized.