Armenia sends condolences over Turkish shepherd killing

YEREVAN - Agence France-Presse

Mustafa Ülker, the shephard shot by border guards, was buried Aug. 2 at Kars's Akyaka district. DHA photo

Armenia on Aug. 2 sent its condolences to Ankara after a Turkish shepherd was shot dead on the sealed border between the two countries. "The interior ministry of Armenia sent a note to the Turkish side expressing its condolences over this incident and hope that such events will not happen again," the interior ministry said.

Authorities in Turkey on Aug. 2 blamed Armenian border guards for the incident and chided Yerevan for using "excessive force", Turkish media reported.

The shepherd identified as Mustafa Ülker, 35, was grazing cattle in the eastern town of Akyaka and went to the border after one of the animals crossed, the Turkish reports said.

Russian state news agency Itar Tass reported however that initial investigations suggested Russian borderguards - stationed in Armenia since the collapse of the Soviet Union- shot Ülker after he opened fire on them.

Ankara closed the border in 1993 in solidarity with its regional ally Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region.