Armenia’s territorial claims to Turkey prevent from establishing diplomatic relations – Turkish ambassador to Russia

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“After Armenia appeared as a result of the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Turkey was the first country to recognize it,” Turkey’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation Kurtulus Taskent announced at a news conference in Moscow today, a REGNUM correspondent informs.

“However, Armenia’s Independence Declaration contains a number of articles that present Armenia’s claims for eastern Turkish territories, after that the events in Karabakh occurred, during which Armenia occupied about 20% of the Azerbaijani territory. Those facts prevented from establishing diplomatic relations between our countries,” the ambassador believes.

“Meanwhile, there are about several thousands illegal labor migrants in Turkey from Armenia; Turkey gives its air passage for air links between Armenia and European countries,” Kurtulus Taskent noted,

“To establish normal diplomatic relations with Turkey, Armenia must eradicate from its Independence Declaration and the constitution those articles containing claims for territories of other countries,” the Turkish ambassador to Russia concluded.