Ex-Turkish ambassador rejects claims of uncoordinated border opening with Armenia

Attempts to manipulate public opinion by spreading disinformation about the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border are doomed to fail.

Former Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan and representative of the İMZA Public Union for Social Development in Türkiye, Hulusi Kılıç, made the remarks speaking to Azertag, per Caliber.Az.

He said Türkiye will not take any steps that contradict Azerbaijan’s interests. 

According to him, the false reports about the opening of border checkpoints between Türkiye and Armenia are being spread by circles concerned about the unity and close cooperation between Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

"The claims made by certain media outlets that Ankara allegedly opened the border with Armenia without informing Baku are aimed at harming the brotherhood between Türkiye and Azerbaijan," he stressed, assuring that the Turkish authorities closely coordinate and discuss any steps regarding Yerevan with their Azerbaijani counterparts.

The former ambassador recalled Türkiye’s repeated statements about its interest in the prompt signing of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"The process of normalizing Ankara’s relations with Yerevan can only yield results after a peace deal is signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia. This has been repeatedly emphasized by the Turkish authorities," Kılıç noted.

He also referred to a statement from the Directorate of Communications’ Center for Combating Disinformation (DMM) regarding the temporary opening of the "Alican" ("Margara") checkpoint for humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria.

"DMM reported that Türkiye’s Special Representative for the Normalization of Relations with Armenia, Ambassador Serdar Kılıç, informed Azerbaijani Ambassador to Ankara Rashad Mammadov on February 24, 2025, about the Armenian authorities’ intention to send humanitarian aid to Syria. On February 26, 2025, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, who was in Ankara at the time, was also briefed on Yerevan’s initiative. All this once again confirms the coordination of actions between Ankara and Baku," the İMZA representative stated.

Hulusi Kılıç expressed confidence that no one can drive a wedge between the two brotherly countries. "I suggest all adversaries of Ankara and Baku revisit the text of the Shusha Declaration," the former Turkish ambassador concluded.

By Khagan Isayev