Turkey emphasizes full support to Azerbaijan against Armenian aggression
Ankara and Baku are arguably the closest allies on the globe. As the latter came under fresh attacks by the Yerevan’s forces, many high-ranking Turkish officials declared support to the brotherly Turkic nation
THE OSCE Minsk Group – co-chaired by France, Russia and the United States – was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but it has thus far failed.
“We are inviting the Armenian people to reclaim their future against their administration that drags them to catastrophe and uses them as puppets,” Erdoğan said and called on the “entire world” to stand behind Azerbaijan in its struggle against occupation and brutality.
In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Armenia is staging yet another provocation.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the Armenian attack which is a blatant violation of international law and has caused civilian casualties. With these attacks, Armenia has shown once again that it is the biggest obstacle on the road to peace and stability in the region,” it added.
“Azerbaijan will of course use its legitimate right of self-defense to protect its civilians and territorial integrity. In this process, Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan is unwavering. However, if Azerbaijan wants us to support them, we will do so,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy said in the statement.
“We are calling on the international community to stand by the righteous,” he added, further wishing Allah’s mercy on the fallen and fast recovery for the wounded.
On the other hand, Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın took to Twitter to declare the country’s pro-Azerbaijan stance once again.
“Armenia has violated the cease-fire and showed that it is against peace and stability. The international community should imme
diately say ‘no’ to this dangerous provocation,” Kalın added.
“We wish Allah’s mercy upon the victims. Azerbaijan is not alone; it has Turkey’s full backing,” he concluded.
“We condemn Armenia’s attacks against civilians. Turkey stands by Azerbaijan in the face of such attacks,” he said. Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar also condemned Armenia’s “heinous” attack, in a statement released later in the day.
“We are with our Azerbaijani brothers, who are fighting for their territorial integrity, to the end with all the means we have,” he said.
“The occupier, Armenia, attacked Azerbaijan and showed that it is trying to stage a provocation with this violation of the cease-fire. Armenia’s aggressive attitude is the biggest obstacle to peace and stability in the Caucasus. Armenia should immediately halt this aggression, which will add fire to the tensions in the region,” Akar added.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson Ömer Çelik also released a statement reiterating Turkey’s stance.
“Armenia has once again staged a lawdefying provocation,” he said, adding that his party and the Turkish government condemn the attacks.
“The murder networks of Armenia are perpetrating crimes against humanity through
such attacks. The international community should raise its voice against Armenia,” Çelik added.
“Turkey stands by Azerbaijan. Armenia is playing with fire and threatening regional peace. These attacks have shown that Armenia defies international law,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, a team consisting of reporters from Turkey’s Anadolu Agency (AA) and public broadcaster TRT have survived an Armenian attack targeting Azerbaijani settlements yesterday. While in the region covering the conflict, the journalists soon found themselves under the fire of Armenian artillerymen during the early morning hours. After multiple artillery rounds, bullets started to be fired up to within 100 meters (328 feet) of the journalists’ location. The crews immediately jumped into their vehicles to escape unscathed. As artillery fire continued, the crew rapidly moved away from the area.
WORLD REMAINS SILENT
The Azerbaijani ambassador to Ankara also lamented yesterday over the international community’s silence on Armenia’s border violations.
Armenia continues its attacks because there is no world reaction to its aggression, Khazar Ibrahim told broadcaster CNN Turk.
Border clashes broke out earlier in the day when Armenian forces targeted Azerbaijani civilian settlements and military positions, causing casualties.
Ibrahim termed the cease-fire violation an “act of terrorism,” saying Armenia seeks provocation.
He added that recently a large number of weapons were sent to Yerevan, the Armenian capital, without mentioning their origin.
The envoy expressed his thanks to the Turkish government and the nation’s people for their support.
TURKEY ENGAGES IN DIPLOMACY
As the situation in the region intensifies, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu had a phone call with his two of his counterparts, Azerbaijani Jeyhun Bayramov and Russian Sergey Lavrov.
In a statement, Russia said that Lavrov discussed the latest situation in a similar talk with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan.
He expressed serious concern over the ongoing large-scale fighting on the line of contact and reports of casualties.
“We are calling on the sides to immediately halt fire and begin talks to stabilize the situation,” the Russian Foreign Ministry had said in an earlier statement.
“The need for an early cease-fire and stabilization of the situation on the contact line is stressed. Condolences were expressed to the families and friends of the victims,” the press release said.
Moscow boasts a significant military presence in Armenia, including a land base near the northwestern city of Gyumri and air force assets deployed near Yerevan.
WEAK REACTIONS FROM EUROPE
European Council President Charles Michel and the Council of Europe called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to immediately stop the fighting in the region.
“In order to prevent further escalation, military action must urgently cease,” Michel wrote on Twitter, calling for both countries to return to dialogue.
Council of Europe Secretary-General Marija Pejcinovic Buric, meanwhile, reiterated calls for an immediate cease-fire and asked the warring neighbors to take responsibility and exercise restraint to protect human lives.
“On joining the Council of Europe, both countries committed themselves to resolving the conflict by peaceful means, and this obligation must be strictly adhered to,” Buric said in a statement. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also stressed the urgency of relaunching negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group.
“The European Union calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, de-escalation and for strict observance of the cease-fire,” he said.
Pope Francis also appealed to Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve their differences through negotiations following the clashes.
“I pray for peace in the Caucasus and ask the parties in conflict to make concrete gestures of goodwill and brotherhood that can lead to the resolution of problems, not with the use of force and weapons, but through dialogue and negotiations,” he said.
Francis, who was speaking at his yesterday noon blessing in St. Peter’s Square, visited both countries in 2016.
The Pope said he was worried about the reports of fresh clashes, in which sources on both sides reported fatalities. He asked the crowd to pray in silence together with him for peace in the region.
France also called for Azerbaijan and the Armenian separatists to “immediately cease hostilities and resume dialogue.”
France, “with its Russian and American partners, reiterates its commitment to reach a negotiated and durable settlement to the conflict” with “respect for international law,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that it was “deeply concerned about the largescale confrontations.”
Germany also joined the few European countries issuing statements for an end to the violence in the Caucasus.
Berlin called for an “immediate” halt to the fighting between Azerbaijan and the Armenian separatists over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, saying the conflict can only be resolved through dialogue.
“I call on both parties to the conflict to immediately stop all hostilities, especially the shelling of villages and towns,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement, voicing “alarm” at reports of civilian casualties.
He urged a return to talks to resolve the dispute over the breakaway region, saying that the Minsk Group “stood ready” to help.
“The conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region can only be resolved through negotiations,” added the German foreign minister, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency.