Meeting of the Security Council and Erdogan calls for an end to the “occupation”

Since Sunday, the forces of the Nagorno Karabakh region, supported politically, militarily and economically by Armenia, and the Azerbaijani forces have been fighting the bloodiest battles in the region, since 2016, when 69 people were killed, at least, according to an incomplete result. of battles, as approved by the Ministry of Defense. In the Nagorno Karabakh region, since Sunday, 58 militants have been killed, 27 of whom were killed yesterday, and two civilians, while Azerbaijan has not published a balance of wounded among its army, while it announced the death of 7 civilians . Actual losses can be much higher, especially since each side claims that it inflicted large losses on the other side.

Azerbaijan, a country that speaks a Turkish-speaking family and has a Shiite Muslim majority, is demanding that control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous province inhabited by a majority of Armenian Christians, be restored. The international community did not acknowledge its 1991 separation from Azerbaijan. An open war between Yerevan and Baku would reinforce instability in the southern Caucasus, especially if the two regional powers, Russia and Turkey, intervene in the conflict. In this context, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday called on Armenia to end what he described as “the occupation of Nagorno Karabakh”. He said that “Turkey will continue to support the brother and friend country of Azerbaijan by all means”, encouraging Baku to “take control of affairs.” He added: “The time has come to put an end to this crisis that started with the occupation of Nagorno Karabakh.” He continued: “As soon as Armenia withdraws from the territories it occupies, the region will restore peace and harmony.” He believed that “any other request or proposal will not only be unfair and illegal, but will also be a continuation of the corruption of Armenia.”

The situation on the ground remains unclear, in light of contradictory statements

Meanwhile, other regional and international powers, namely Russia, France, the United States, France, Iran and the European Union, continued their calls for an immediate ceasefire. A spokesman for the European Chancellery considered that “any interference in this conflict is unacceptable”, noting that its escalation is “very worrying”. In addition, the office of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the latter and Erdogan discussed the violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno Karabakh, and called for an immediate de-escalation in the region. This comes as the UN Security Council is expected to hold a closed emergency meeting today to discuss developments in the Caucasus, according to diplomatic sources. Sources indicated that this initiative was undertaken by Germany and France, and has the support of other European countries, specifically Estonia, Belgium and Great Britain. On the ground, the situation remains unclear, as Nagorno Karabakh authorities confirmed yesterday that they control the sites it lost the day before, while Azerbaijan says it has made additional progress, using missiles, artillery and aircraft. And Azerbaijani general Mays Barkhudarov declared that his forces “are ready to fight to the last drop of blood to eliminate the enemy.”
(Reuters, AFP)

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