Turkey: "We"re all brothers" - travellers react to resumption of flight to Armenia

У вашего броузера проблема в совместимости с HTML5

Follow us on Telegram:
https://t.me/s/ruptlynews

Travellers at Istanbul’s airport reacted to the return of flights between Turkey and Armenia, on Wednesday, for the first time in over two years.
“It is a first step in terms of normalising the relations,” said traveller Ludovic Doufucock. “What I think is that Armenia has no choice because economically Armenia needs to take the hand that is given to them by Turkey, even if they do not like that, even if it is humiliating to them.”
Footage showed travellers at the check-in counter of the Turkish Pegasus Airline to board the flight to Yerevan, while employees checked their passports and luggage. Some travellers commented on the relaunch of the route from their point of view.
“This is much better that we have an open route,” said Anna Hitkevirken, another traveller. “We could come and go more often now,” she added.
Although Turkey was among the first countries to recognise Armenia’s independence in 1991, relations were severed and the border between the two neighbours closed in 1993 when Turkey expressed solidarity with Azerbaijan during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war, during which Armenian forces occupied several territories belonging to Baku.
Although the land border was closed, flights continued until 2019.

SOT, Ludovic Doufucock, Traveller: “It is a first step in terms of normalising the relations. What I think is that Armenia has no choice because economically Armenia needs to take the hand that is given to them by Turkey, even if they do not like that, even if it is humiliating to them, which I understand, but it is a small country and it is more poor than the other countries in the region. So right now, they need more economic integration, so this is why they need to normalise relations and to open the border finally - and then, in the future maybe, Inshallah, there will be a reconciliation in time, but that will come after and for that they will need to talk about shared history and tragedies.”

SOT, Anna Hitkevirken, Traveller (Armenian): “I live here with my family. This is much better that we have an open route. We could come and go more often now.”

SOT, Artur Petrosyan, Traveller: “For now, we have to forget everything, sitting around the table, and talking about our rules without any questions about genocide, we have to stop this and focus on what we have to do for our people.”

SOT, Sezar Yildirim, Traveller (Turkish): “I hope it is a big bridge. It is an example to the whole world and we, as the Turkish and Armenian peoples, use this bridge frequently. Let no one forget that we are brothers. Peoples in Armenia and everyone should remember that you left Turkey. Let no one forget that we are all brothers. Turkey is no one’s enemy, and I hope that no one will be an enemy to anyone after this. We’re all brothers.”

#Turkey #Armenia

Video ID: 20220203-004

Video on Demand: https://ruptly.tv/videos/20220203-004
Contact: [email protected]

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Ruptly
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Ruptly