Erdogan reassures Azerbaijan on Armenian border

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev in Baku. Afterwards, Erdogan told a press conference that Turkey shares Azerbaijan's sensitivity on the Upper Karabakh issue. "Turkey closed its border gates with Armenia because Upper Karabakh was occupied," he added. "As long as Armenia's occupation of Upper Karabakh continues, there is no way Turkey can open its border to Armenia." For his part, Aliyev said that Erdogan's statements had dispelled his fears about the matter. Erdogan also addressed the Azeri Parliament and said, "We have not taken any step which would hurt Azerbaijan's national interests, and we will not. We have never ignored the well-being and interests of the Azeri people, and we will not."