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According to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Turkey is to blame that the dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region in the South Caucasus has turned into a military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “It would not have gotten this far without the active intervention of Turkey,” the Armenian prime minister told AFP news agency on Tuesday.
Azerbaijan’s decision to “start a war” was motivated by “Turkey’s full support,” Pashinyan said. If the conflict escalates further, Russia will intervene in Armenia’s favor. “Russia will fulfill its contractual obligations,” said the head of government.
Dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh since the end of the Soviet Union
The former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been fighting for decades over the mountainous region, which is home to some 145,000 people. In a war that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union some 30 years ago, Azerbaijan lost control of the area. Now it is inhabited by Armenian Christians from Karabakh. In fact, there has been a ceasefire since 1994. The self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh is not internationally recognized and is considered part of Azerbaijan under international law.
Russia is historically regarded as the protective power of Armenia and maintains a military base there. At the same time, however, Moscow also maintains good relations with Azerbaijan and provides it with weapons. Oil-rich Azerbaijan has seen a military upgrade in recent years. The Turkish-speaking country can count on Turkey as an ally. Experts see as proven that Ankara supports Azerbaijan with weapons.
Armenia repeatedly accuses Turkey of meddling in the fighting. Turkish officers are supposed to direct Azerbaijani military operations. According to the government of Azerbaijan, Turkey is not involved in the conflict as an ally of the country.
During a visit to Baku, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu again called on the international community to support Azerbaijan, as Armenia is the occupying power. “Putting these two countries on the same level means rewarding the occupier,” Cavusoglu said Tuesday. He added: “The world must be on the side of those who are right, namely Azerbaijan.”
On the 10th day of the conflict, explosions were heard in Stepanakert, the capital of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, according to AFP reporters. Broken glass and debris littered the street in downtown Stepanakert. Neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan have shown any tendency to stop their attacks.
Since the fighting began, reports on the number of victims have been incomplete. According to this, at least 286 people have died in Nagorno-Karabakh, including more than 46 civilians. However, presumably many more people died. So far, the Baku government has reported no casualties among its military personnel.
Russia: peacekeeping forces only if both sides agree
The so-called Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe tried to mediate: the group demanded an immediate end to the fighting and the return of the two warring former Soviet republics to the negotiating table. Pashinyan also mentioned the Russian peacekeepers last week. Moscow only wants to send Russian peacekeepers to the crisis region with the consent of Yerevan and Baku. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Saturday night, as broadcaster RBK reported. “Peacekeeping forces can only be deployed if both parties agree,” he was quoted as saying.
