Turkish Politicians Escorted Out of the Country by Armenian Officials

Leader of the Turkish Powerful Turkey Party (Güçlü Türkiye Partisi, GTP) Tuna Bekleviç and his accompanying delegation, will leave Armenia today under the auspices of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS).

As told by Epress.am correspondent in Turkey, this news was conveyed by a GTP representative in Istanbul. 

According to him, Bekleviç is to be escorted by Armenia’s NSS to Georgia (the border through which trips by land to Turkey are made). 

Earlier, the minority party leader and his GTP colleagues were taken in for questioning by the NSS following a statement Bekleviç made at today’s press conference in Yerevan, saying that he crossed the Armenia-Turkey border.

The Russian border troops in Armenia that guard the border had denied the media reports that surfaced earlier this month. 

Bekleviç and his colleagues had come to Armenia (legally this time) in the hopes of meeting with Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian. However, in a statement made by the head of the RA Ministry of Defense Border Country Department Karen Mirzoyan yesterday, the Turkish politicians were advised to address Turkey’s authorities, “who, putting forward artificial barriers, did not ratify and implement the Armenia-Turkey Protocols.” 

The NSS told RFE/RL’s Armenian service later on Friday that neither could substantiate their claims while being questioned on that account. 

It said the Turks were warned that their behavior is “unacceptable” and “were asked to leave the country immediately.”