Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday that humanitarian aid provided by Armenia to those affected by last week’s deadly earthquake in Turkey should help the neighbouring countries’ efforts to mend fences.
For the first time in 35 years, a border crossing between the bitterly hostile neighbours was opened to bring help to southern Turkey earthquake victims. A rescue team from Armenia was also dispatched to Turkey to assist with the search for survivors.
“In this trying moment, Armenia has extended a friendly hand, demonstrated its support, and worked with us. We must maintain this solidarity “At a joint press conference in Ankara with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan, Cavusoglu made the statement.
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“In the southern Caucasus, the process of normalisation is ongoing. We think that by working together in the humanitarian sector, this process will be aided “Cavusoglu threw in.
Through a translator, Mirzoyan declared that Armenia was still dedicated to “total normalisation of relations and complete opening of the border with Turkey.”
To show support for Azerbaijan, which was at the time engaged in a losing conflict with Armenian separatists in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, Turkey broke its diplomatic and business ties with Armenia in 1993.
However, the main point of contention between Turkey and Armenia is to the 1.5 million people Armenia claims the Ottoman Empire, the forerunner of modern Turkey, murdered in 1915.
This, according to Armenia, is genocide.
While acknowledging that many Armenians who lived in the Ottoman Empire perished in battles with Ottoman forces during World War One, Turkey disputes the numbers and disputes that the deaths were systematically caused.
(Reuters)
