Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
©Depo Photos/Keystone Press Agency/Global Look Press
In response to provocations by Armenia against Turkey and Azerbaijan, Ankara closed the country’s airspace to Armenian airlines flying to third countries. On Wednesday, May 3, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu declared on the air of the NTV channel.
“We have closed the airspace for Armenia for flights to third countries. We will let planes into our country if necessary, but we will not allow the passage of liners and private jets through our space as long as provocations continue,” the Turkish Foreign Minister said.
Cavusoglu specified that the country will make an exception for the speaker of the Armenian parliament. He will be able to fly to a meeting with a Turkish colleague. At the same time, the minister stressed that if the Armenian side does not stop the provocations, then Turkey will take other measures.
There are no diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia. The land border has been closed since 1993 at the initiative of the Turkish side, and the air border was opened in 1995. Difficulties in relations between the countries are caused, among other things, by Ankara’s support for the Azerbaijani position on the Karabakh issue and Turkey’s sharp reaction to the process of international recognition of the Armenian genocide in 1915 in the Ottoman Empire.
