Erdogan: "Ankara will continue to be on the side of Azerbaijan in Karabakh issue"

"Our stance on Upper Karabakh will continue as in the past. As an intervener in the process, we will continue to be on the side of Azerbaijan," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with the Azerbaijani President Ilham Alivey at the end of a meeting of the Turkey-Azerbaijan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Qabala, Sondakika reports. 

Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that it was out of question for Turkey to open its border with Armenia unless the issue of Upper Karabakh was resolved primarily by the Minsk Group.  Erdogan stressed that they have always made their remarks clear on Armenia during their government and will never take a step to open the Turkey-Armenia border unless the matter of Upper Karabakh was resolved. He said their stance will remain the same as long as the Party of Justice and Development is in power in Turkey.