Those Who Hope for War Will No Longer Spread Butter on Bread: Turkish MP After Visit to Armenia

Oguzhan Akyener, the president of Turkey's Energy Strategies and Policies Research Center (TESPAM), gave an interview to "Ermeni Haber" after participating in the "Orbeli 2025" international forum held in Yerevan on November 4-5, where he shared his impressions of his visit to Armenia and his observations on regional relations.

According to Akyener, he received negative feedback prior to his visit, but in Yerevan he found that those opinions did not correspond to reality. "I saw that Armenia, with its people, streets, music, and cultural environment, has many similarities with Turkey. I did not feel like a stranger in the city," he said.

Akyener noted that the forum created an effective environment for civil diplomacy, uniting participants from various countries.

Regarding Armenia-Turkey relations, Akyener stated that the border between the two countries will eventually open. He believes that the process will not be easy, but for the first time, the leaders of Armenia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan have been able to appear on the same platform for cooperation.

"As long as President Erdogan is in Turkey, Aliyev is in Azerbaijan, and Pashinyan is in Armenia, those forces that hope for war will no longer spread butter on bread. This will be followed by the phased opening of border crossing points," he emphasized.

On the energy sector, Akyener indicated that the opening of borders could create new opportunities for the region. According to him, establishing peace will contribute to increased investment, the expansion of logistics opportunities, and the development of energy projects.

He added that transporting oil, gas, and rare elements through a "peace corridor" could change the geopolitical balance of the region and serve mutual interests.