Garo Paylan on Türkiye-Armenia border: "Why doesn't this border open?"

Photos: Agos

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People's Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Garo Paylan yesterday (January 25) called on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan from the closed border between Türkiye and Armenia. "What prevents this border to be opened?" Paylan asked Erdoğan.

Paylan suggested that the border gate to be opened should be named Hrant Dink gate after the editor-in-chief of Agos newspaper who was the victim of a political murder on January 19, 2007. 

"Now it is time for people to hug one another"

Paylan said, "We are at the Türkiye-Armenia border and unfortunately this border is closed since 30 years ago. Azeris, Armenians, Turks, and Kurds are the peoples of this region but unfortunately, they were separated due to traumas of the past century.

"Now it is time for the Turks, Armenians, and Kurds to hug one another. There was a war between Azerbaijan and Armenia two years ago.

"After this war ended, both the Türkiye-Armenia normalization process and the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process started. Türkiye and Armenia appointed special envoys and started negotiations."

Garo Paylan recalled that one year ago President Erdoğan said that the border could be opened first to third-country citizens and then the citizens of Türkiye and Armenia. 

"Why doesn't this border open? I am asking President Erdoğan why this border does not open. What prevents you from opening this border?" asked Paylan. 

"Both Armenia is losing and the people of the region are losing. Kars is losing, Iğdır is losing, Ardahan, Ağrı, and Doğubeyazıt are losing. The provinces of the area and the people living in these provinces are losing," said Paylan.

"Let's name border gate Hrant Dink"

Paylan said, "If this border is opened, there will be trade and tourism between these countries. People will share and they will hug each other.

"Turks, Kurds, Azeris, and Armenians cannot be enemies of each other. These are the people who lived together for thousands of years and now is the time to hug one another.

"Hrant Dink was one of the persons who made the greatest efforts to open the Türkiye-Armenia border. His biggest dream was the opening of this border and that Turkish, Kurdish, Azeri, and Armenian people would dance halay together.

Türkiye-Armeni̇a relations

Türkiye was the first country to recognize Armeni̇a's independence in 1991. 

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991, especially because of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Alican Gate, the only border gate allowing road transport between Türkiye and Armenia was closed by Türkiye in 1993 during the first Nagorno Karabagh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

A "Protocol on the Development of Bilateral Relations" was signed by Türkiye's then-Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and Armeni̇a's then-Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbantyan on October 11, 2009.

Signed in Zurich in Switzerland, the "Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations" foresaw that the two states would recognize each other's borders. But no progress was made and protocols became invalid.

New clashes erupted on September 27, 2020, and during the six-week war, Azerbaijan retook several cities and 300 settlements and villages.

The conflict ended in November 2020 in a Russia-brokered deal that saw Armenia cede swathes of territory it had occupied for decades.

In January 2021, the leaders of the three countries agreed to develop economic ties and infrastructure for the benefit of the entire Caucasus region. (SD/PE)