Moscow Benefits from Closed Armenian-Turkish Border: Turkish Economist

The Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV) researcher Ussal Şahbaz believes that Moscow benefits from closed Armenia-Turkey border during the Hrant Dink Foundation's Sealed Gate: Conference on the Prospect of the Turkey-Armenia Border at Ankara University.

Şahbaz stated the latter during a question and answer section and believed that by Moscow keeping the borders closed, it would keep its influence in Armenia. He also noted that Armenia's entrance to the Eurasian Economic Union would hurt both Armenia's economy and Armenia-Turkey economic relations because prices of Turkish goods would subsequently increase.

Şahbaz presented a TEPAV Study on Economic Cooperation Opportunities between Turkey and Armenia. The study discussed how Turkey is Armenia's fourth import partner and 39th export partner. He claimed that the open border could imply Turkey being Armenia's second or third export partner and increase Armenia's GDP by 1%.

A Hrant Dink Foundation backed research on the Socio-Economic Impact of the Turkey-Armenia Border and the TEPAV study both stated that the regions of Kars-Ardahan-Igdir and Armenia have declining populations and weak economies. Şahbaz believed that Armenia and the Turkish border regions have very few complementary products to jump start their economy because both economies are based on agriculture. However, he claimed that Armenian goods may be more in demand in Istanbul and Marmara Sea regions than its neighboring regions. According to the study, the only two sectors that stand out with significant mutual benefits for both countries were the IT sector and tourism. 

According to the researcher, the largest city near Turkey's Eastern Provinces is Yerevan, which is important because the closest large market for residents to trade in is Gaziantep (formerly Aintab).

Naif Alibeyoğlu, the former-mayor of Kars, stated during the same Q&A section that despite the poor economies of the area, businessmen would begin to invest in the region if the border would be opened. The mayor expressed that the current situation not only creates an environment of hopelessness for the people living there but also that the continual closure of the border by Turkey is punishing its eastern border regions by keeping the border closed.

The researcher also looked at prospects with the border being closed and considered a new Turkey-Georgia border crossing near the Lake Aktaş/Kartsakhi located at Ardahan-Javakheti provinces to significantly cut the distance from Gyumri to Kars.

The Hrant Dink Foundation's organized conference not only discussed the economic issues of the Armenia-Turkey border but also other issues like social and political implications, comparative examples, and cultural and interpersonal projects.