Turkey Dialogue with Armenia 'Not Closed': Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hopes to overcome the problems between Azerbaijan and Armenia through a transit corridor.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an Istanbul airport ahead of his flight to New York to attend the UN General Assembly meeting.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday his country is ready for dialogue with Armenia, adding that the latter must take steps toward opening a transport link through its territory.
Yerevan and Ankara never had any diplomatic relations, and their shared border has been closed since the 1990s.
The relationship between the two countries has been strained due to Turkey refusing to recognize Armenia's allegations of genocide that are said to have been committed by the Ottoman Empire during WWI.
The relations between the two countries have further deteriorated because of the Nagorno-Karabakh war when Turkey allied with Azerbaijan to control the region.
"If [Pashinyan] would like to meet with Tayyip Erdogan, then certain steps should be taken," Erdogan told reporters at an Istanbul airport ahead of his flight to New York, where he will be attending the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting.
This was in reference to a transit corridor that would connect Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan through Armenia. Nakhchivan is an Azerbijanian city in northwest Armenia.
"We are not closed to talks [with Armenia]. We will hold the talks," Erdogan said.
"I hope that not a negative but a positive approach will prevail there," he added. "God willing, the problem between Azerbaijan and Armenia will be overcome with the opening of the corridors."
