The border gate between Turkey and Armenia was opened for the first time in 30 years in order to allow the passage of aid for victims hit by the devastating earthquake in Turkey, state-owned Anadolu news agency and a diplomat said.
Turkey’s special representative for normalization talks with Armenia, Serdar Kilic said that the delegation from Armenia passed 100 tonnes of food, medicine, and drinking water through the Alican border gate.
“I will always remember the generous aid sent by the people of Armenia to help alleviate the sufferings of our people in the earthquake stricken region in Turkey,” Kilic said, thanking Armenian officials.
Anadolu Agency said that the border gate was last used to send aid from the Turkish Red Crescent to earthquake-hit Armenia in 1988.
Turkey has not had ties with Armenia since the 1990s. Both countries have been at odds primarily over the 1.5 million people Armenia says were killed in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor to modern Turkey.
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