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After World War II, the Soviet Union attempted to annul the Kars treaty and regain the Kars region and the adjoining region of [[Ardahan]]. On June 7, 1945, Soviet Foreign Minister [[Vyacheslav Molotov]] told the Turkish ambassador to Moscow [[Selim Sarper]] that the regions should be returned to the [[Soviet Union]], on behalf of the Georgian and Armenian republics. Turkey found itself in a difficult position: it wanted good relations with the Soviet Union, but at the same time they refused to give up the territories. Turkey itself was in no condition to fight a war with the Soviet Union, which had emerged as a superpower after the second world war. By the autumn of 1945, Soviet troops in the Caucasus were ordered to prepare for a possible invasion of Turkey. Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] objected to these territorial claims, while [[President of the United States|President]] [[Harry Truman]] initially felt that the matter should not concern other parties. With the onset of the [[Cold War]], however, the United States came to see Turkey as usefully ally against Soviet expansion and began to support it financially and militarily. By 1948 the Soviet Union dropped its claims to Kars and the other regions.<ref>Krikorian, Robert O. (2011), "Kars-Ardahan and Soviet Armenian Irredentism, 1945–1946," in ''Armenian Kars and Ani'', ed. [[Richard G. Hovannisian]]. Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, pp. 393–409.</ref>
In April 1993, Turkey closed its Kars border crossing with Armenia, in a protest against the capture of [[Kelbajar]] district of [[Azerbaijan]] by Armenian forces during the [[Nagorno-Karabakh War]].<ref name="hrw">{{Cite book|last=Panico|first = Christopher|author2=Rone, Jemera|year = 1994|title = Bloodshed in the Caucasus: Escalation of the Armed Conflict in Nagorno Karabakh|publisher = Human Rights Watch/Helsinki Watch|isbn = 1-56432-142-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eDTuxhmqzSkC&pg=PA74|page=74|quote=Turkey cut all routes to Armenia in April 1993, after the Karabakh Armenian army - with alleged support from Russian and Armenian armies - seized Kelbajar province of Azerbaijan.}}</ref> Since then the land border between Armenia and Turkey has remained closed. In 2006, former Kars mayor Naif Alibeyoğlu said that opening the border would boost the local economy and reawaken the city.<ref>"Kars battles for access to Armenia and beyond", Turkish Daily News, July 30th 2006.</ref> Despite unsuccessful attempts to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2009,<ref>{{Cite news|author=Staff|title=Turkey, Armenia to Reopen Border|date=11 October 2009|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125518039736978131|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091012060227/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125518039736978131.html|archivedate=12 October 2009|deadurl=no}}</ref> there remained opposition and pressure from the local population against the re-opening of the border.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Mammadli, Sabuhi|title=Border Turks Want Door to Armenia Kept Shut|date=1 May 2009|newspaper=CRS Issue 491|publisher=Institute for War and Peace Reporting|url=http://iwpr.net/report-news/border-turks-want-door-armenia-kept-shut|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120923224553/http://iwpr.net/report-news/border-turks-want-door-armenia-kept-shut|archivedate=23 September 2012|deadurl=no}} Note: archive not available until mid-2013.</ref> Under pressure from Azerbaijan, and the local population, including the 20% ethnic [[Azerbaijani people|Azerbaijani]] minority, the Turkish foreign minister [[Ahmet Davutoğlu]] reiterated in 2010 and 2011 that opening the border with Armenia was out of question.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Armenia border opening out of question, says Davutoğlu
==Demographics==
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===Twin towns – Sister cities===
The municipality of Kars has developed sister city relationships with following cities at home and abroad:<ref>{{cite web|title=Kars Belediyesi'nin çalışmaları|url=http://www.siyasalbirikim.com.tr/haber.php?haber_id=373|publisher=Siyasal Birikim|accessdate=8 April 2014|language=tr|date=8 October 2007|quote=68- KARDEŞ ŞEHİR: Belediyemiz Kardeş Şehir İlişkisi kurulması konusunda gerekli girişimlerde bulunarak yurt içinde Bursa ve Edirne Belediyeleri ile yurt dışında ise Azerbaycan'ın Gence Belediyesi, Almanya'nın Wesel Belediyesi, Norveç'in Kirkenes Belediyesi, Gürcistan'ın Kutaisi Belediyesi ile kardeş şehir ilişkisi kurulmuştur.|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408222845/http://www.siyasalbirikim.com.tr/haber.php?haber_id=373|archivedate=8 April 2014|df=}}</ref>
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* [http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/kars 700+ pictures of city, Kümbet Camii, Kale and Ani]
* [http://www.kars.gov.tr/ Kars Governor's Office]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120106204132/http://www.kars.gov.tr/gezirehberi/En/english.html The official city guide of the Kars municipality]
* [http://www.politikars.com/ Kars News]
* [http://www.anatolia.luwo.be/Kars.htm Kars Guide and Photo Album by Luc Wouters]
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* [http://hitchhikershandbook.com/2012/06/26/kars-turkey/ HitchHikers Handbook's guide to Kars]
* [http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=38bcb019501f06e5918b51a266e53d4 3D Model of the Cathedral ]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101209071500/http://globalheritagefund.org/what_we_do/overview/completed_projects/kars_turkey
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110817054100/http://ghn.globalheritagefund.org/?id=12 Explore Kars with Google Earth] on [[Global Heritage Network]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140415164629/http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/eden/themes-destinations/countries/turkey/kars-kuyucuk/index_en.htm Awarded "EDEN - European Destinations of Excellence" non traditional tourist destination 2009]
{{Districts of Turkey|provname=Kars|image=Kars}}
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