A 500km-wide river

Sunday 3 January

A 500km-wide river

Since the 1993s, the border has been blocked between Turkey and Armenia. In an Armenian village of the Armavir Province called Margara, the separation between these countries is the Arax River and a bridge spans the banks.

The inhabitants in Magara have never seen their Turkish neighbours, Turkey is an unknown country for them. If they want to go there, they have to drive all day through Georgia. The trip is 500km long and very complicated, while just a few minutes are necessary to cross the bridge. Any attempt would be considered a violation of the border convention.

At the time of Soviet Union, the Armenian border was heavily guarded because Turkey was a member of NATO. In 1990, at the beginning of the Armenian independence due to the USSR dislocation, the border was opened shortly and shut again until now.

The villagers are now hopeful they will obtain the opening of the border. The wish of a big part of Margara’s population is to get more territorial liberties one day thanks to the opening of the border which “lock them at home”. Some hope to discover their parents or grand parents’ Turkish house, others want to have the possibility to sell their production near their home, on the Turkish market instead of the Georgian one located far from Magara. Some also hope to benefit from the real estate price increase.

Segolene, BBC NEWS

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/worldagenda/2009/12/091209_worldagenda_borders.shtml