[ad_1]
Image posted, Armenian defense ministry
The photo released by the Armenian Defense Ministry of the Sukhoi-25, which it said was shot down by a Turkish F-16.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed concern over the “reckless and dangerous” statements issued by Turkey as the clashes continued for a fourth day in the disputed Nagorno Karabakh region.
Macron said during a visit to the Republic of Latvia that France is “very concerned about the war messages” emanating from Turkey. Turkey says it is “fully ready” to help its ally Azerbaijan regain the territory, which is under the control of ethnic Armenians. The UN Security Council called for an end to the fighting there.
However, the region witnessed more violence on Wednesday, and the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry promised that the “legitimate operation” would continue until the Armenian forces leave Nagorno Karabakh.
Meanwhile, the Armenian Defense Ministry released a photo of an Armenian Sukhoi Su-25 that it said was shot down by a Turkish F-16 on Tuesday. For its part, Turkey rejected these accusations, calling them “cheap propaganda” and Azerbaijan said Armenia is lying on this issue.
What happened on the ground?
Dozens of soldiers and some civilians have died since violence erupted last Sunday in this decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991, Karabakh declared itself an independent republic, escalating the conflict into an all-out war. The “de facto” state was not recognized from the outside, not even by Armenia itself.
Earlier on Wednesday, Azerbaijan posted a photo of what it said was the destruction of two “enemy” tanks, and said that an Armenian battalion had fled the area around the city of “Tonashin”.
According to Armenian reports, three civilians were killed in an Azerbaijani airstrike against the town of “Martakert” in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Armenian Press news agency said seven civilians and 80 soldiers had been killed since the fighting began.
Image posted, Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense
The image released by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said it was of two Armenian tanks that were destroyed.
What is France saying?
In recent weeks, two members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) France and Turkey have been on opposite sides of a dispute over energy claims in the eastern Mediterranean. They have also been at odds over the struggle for power in Libya.
Now, President Macron has warned Turkey about “declarations of war … which basically remove any obstacles Azerbaijan has to regain Nagorno Karabakh. This is something we will not accept.”
Macron said he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday night and with US President Donald Trump on Thursday. Azerbaijan and Armenia are former Soviet republics and, although Russia maintains a military base in Armenia, it also maintains good relations with Azerbaijan.
The French president appeared to promise greater support for Armenia in the coming days, when he said: “I tell Armenia and the Armenians, France will do its part.
The conflict is expected to be discussed at the summit of European Union leaders this week.
What is Turkey’s response?
Turkey said it would do “whatever it takes” to support Azerbaijan, and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the French president of practically supporting the occupation.
However, there is international concern that Turkey will support a larger military operation. Cavusoglu has already said that Turkey will support Azerbaijan “in the field and at the negotiating table,” and an aide to the presidential institution spoke of Turkey’s commitment “to help Azerbaijan regain its occupied lands.”
In additional remarks he made on Wednesday, the aide said: “Azerbaijan is fighting to protect its lands. Where is this place in the world where the people under occupation and the occupier are treated equally?”
As for Russia, it offered to mediate the conflict, but Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that talking about holding a summit was not on the table “at a time of intense hostilities.”
In turn, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev indicated that there is nothing to talk about, arguing that Pashinyan has publicly declared that Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Armenia.
