‘People will go and come, and the people of Armenia will take a breath’: Turkish Presidential Spokesperson

The spokesperson for the President of Turkey and senior advisor Ibrahim Kalin spoke on CNN Türk about the processes of Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization.

According to Ermenihaber, while discussing Armenia-Turkey relations, Kalin noted that the main reason for freezing diplomatic relations with Armenia and closing the border was the ‘occupation of Karabakh.’ Now, as ‘the occupation has ended,’ the reason for their decision has disappeared.

In response to journalists’ inquiries about whether the processes will continue alongside Azerbaijan and what the current situation is, Ibrahim Kalin stated that both processes are currently progressing in a more positive and encouraging direction. He specifically mentioned the agreement reached by the foreign ministers and special representatives of the two countries regarding the opening of borders for citizens of a third country, air cargo transportation, and air traffic.

‘We also want this process to move forward; we know that the Armenian side has a benevolent and constructive stance on this issue. We support and encourage the positive continuation of this process with Azerbaijan, and at the same time, the normalization of relations between Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia will bring great peace to the entire South Caucasus. God willing, we will see the day when our relations are normalized, we have opened the border, and there is border trade, movement, and so forth,’ Kalin said.

He particularly emphasized that Armenia is a landlocked state with a population of 2.5-3 million, and its most important access to the sea is through Turkey. Therefore, according to him, the normalization of relations would be beneficial for the people of Armenia, Turkish citizens of Armenian descent, and the Armenian diaspora.

‘Unfortunately, this may be the last thing the Armenian communities in America and France will understand, as you know, there are two large Armenian diasporas in the world, one in France and the other in the USA. I hope they too will realize that the normalization will also be advantageous from a trade perspective: They will trade with Azerbaijan, they will trade with us, people will go and come, and the people of Armenia will take a breath. This will be an investment for peace throughout the entire region,’ said the Turkish official and expressed hope that better and more positive steps will be taken in the coming days.