cease-fire violations by azeris

[Yervant1]

U.S. News

Oct 1 2020

Russia Says Deployment of Syrian, Libyan Fighters to Karabakh Conflict 'Extremely Dangerous': TASS

By Reuters, Wire Service Content Oct. 1, 2020

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Security Council sees any deployment of fighters from Syria and Libya to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict region as an extremely dangerous development, the Kremlin said on Thursday, the TASS news agency reported.

Two Syrian rebel sources have told Reuters that Turkey is sending Syrian rebel fighters to support Azerbaijan. Turkey and Azerbaijan have denied that.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Alison Williams)

Copyright 2020 Thomson Reuters.

[Yervant1]

Reuters

Oct 1 2020

Turkey rebuffs Russia, France and U.S. over Nagono-Karabakh ceasefire moves

By Nailia Bagirova, Nvard Hovhannisyan

BAKU/YEREVAN (Reuters) - The presidents of France, Russia and the United States called on Thursday for an immediate ceasefire between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces around Nagorno-Karabakh, but Turkey said the three big powers should have no role in peace moves.

France, Russia and the United States are co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk Group, set up in 1992 to mediate in the decades-old conflict over the mountainous enclave in the South Caucasus.

They appealed for peace as the death toll rose in the heaviest clashes since the 1990s around Nagorno-Karabakh - part of Azerbaijan, but run by its mostly ethnic Armenian inhabitants.

“We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities between the relevant military forces,” the joint French, Russian and U.S. statement said.

They urged the ex-Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan to “commit without delay to resuming substantive negotiations, in good faith and without preconditions” under what is called the Minsk process.

But in a speech to the Turkish parliament just before the three countries’ statement, President Tayyip Erdogan said he opposed their involvement.

“Given that the USA, Russia and France have neglected this problem for nearly 30 years, it is unacceptable that they are involved in a search for a ceasefire,” Erdogan said.

He said a lasting ceasefire could be achieved only if “Armenian occupiers” withdrew from Nagorno-Karabakh.

His comments are likely to fuel tension with his NATO allies as fears mount that the conflict could draw in regional powers Russia, which has a military base in majority Christian Armenia, and Turkey, a close ally of mainly Muslim Azerbaijan.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart had spoken by phone and expressed their willingness to cooperate closely to stabilise the situation, Lavrov’s ministry said.

MOUNTING DEATH TOLL

Dozens of people have been reported killed and hundreds wounded since Sunday in fighting that has renewed concern about stability in the South Caucasus, a corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas to world markets.

Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan in a 1991-94 war that killed 30,000 people, but is not recognised internationally as an independent republic.

Azerbaijan’s civilian death toll has risen to 19, with 55 wounded, its prosecutor general’s office said. Azerbaijan has not reported on casualties among its military forces.

Nagorno-Karabakh has said 103 of its servicemen have been killed and more than 200 wounded but has given no figures on civilian casualties.

Armenia said two French nationals working for France’s Le Monde newspaper had been wounded during Azeri shelling of the town of Martuni in Nagorno-Karabakh, clarifying earlier confusion over the location of the incident. An Armenian government source said they were in a serious condition.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on the need for a ceasefire in a telephone call late on Wednesday. Their joint statement with U.S. President Donald Trump was issued hours later on Thursday.

Macron’s office said he and Putin had shared “concern regarding the sending of Syrian mercenaries by Turkey to Nagorno-Karabakh”.

A Kremlin statement did not mention this. But the Russian news agency TASS quoted the Kremlin as saying the alleged deployment of fighters from Syria and Libya to Nagorno-Karabakh was extremely dangerous.

Turkey has said it will “do what is necessary” to support Azerbaijan, but has denied sending mercenaries.

Macron, whose country is home to about 600,000 people of Armenian origin, has accused Turkey of “warlike” rhetoric.

A German government source said EU leaders would discuss the conflict at an ongoing summit meeting. [nL8N2GS1HU]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-armenia-azerbaijan-idUSKBN26M5IJ

[Yervant1]

CTV News, Canada

Oct 1 2020

Patriotic fervour spurs Armenians to sign up for 'fight to the death'

AFP Staff

Contact

Published Wednesday, September 30, 2020 4:09PM EDT

AFP -- In front of a recruiting office in the Armenian capital, dozens of men -- some already in military fatigues, some chain-smoking -- are milling about, waiting to join a war raging in Nagorny Karabakh.

There is a steady stream of potential new recruits heading to the Soviet-era building on Alabyan Street, in the northwest of the capital, with men arriving on foot and by car.

Some of the would-be soldiers say they have been ordered to report, others are volunteers.

Kamo, a 32-year-old factory worker, said that a lot of people were eager to join the fight after a long-simmering conflict between arch enemies Armenia and Azerbaijan erupted on Sunday.

"We must act to defend our homeland against the aggressor," Kamo, who did not give his last name, told AFP.

"This is our land. We will die before we abandon it," said.

"There are 18-year-olds and even elderly people here. Everyone understands what we are fighting for," he added.

"Of course it's sad that we are sustaining losses. But we aren't afraid."

Since Sunday, Armenian and Azerbaijani forces have been engaged in the heaviest fighting in years over Nagorny Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian region that broke away from Azerbaijan in the 1990s during the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Karabakh's declaration of independence sparked a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives.

More than 100 people have been confirmed killed in the latest flare-up and both sides are claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on opposing forces.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have defied international calls for a ceasefire, and Turkey has given full backing to its ally Baku.

Like Azerbaijan, Armenia has declared martial law and military mobilization.

The Azerbaijani authorities say their forces have made territorial gains, a claim the Karabakh separatist leadership denies.

The dramatic military escalation has spurred large numbers of military-age men in both countries to volunteer to go to the front.

In Yerevan, there are no visible signs of the conflict except for giant flags hanging from some buildings and residents standing in lines to donate blood.

A surge of patriotic sentiment in the city is especially palpable at the recruiting office.

"My cousin is going to war," said Robert Gasparyan, a 20-year-old student.

Gasparyan said he fought in heavy clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan that broke out in July along the countries' shared border, hundreds of kilometres from Karabakh.

"What's happening now is a hundred times worse compared to what I have seen," said the young man who came to accompany his relative.

The two armies have reported the use of heavy artillery and drones by the opposing side. Armenia has also claimed that a Turkish fighter jet flying in support of Baku's forces downed one of its warplanes, a claim denied by Turkey.

"This is a fight to the death," said one volunteer -- a 63-year-old teacher who declined to give his name.

"We want to defend our homeland and live in peace. That isn't too much to ask."

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/patriotic-fervour-spurs-armenians-to-sign-up-for-fight-to-the-death-1.5127028

[Yervant1]

Jerusalem post

Sept 30 2020

Evidence mounts that Turkey recruited Syrians to fight Armenia

Questions remain over whether the men were actually sent and how many were recruited.

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 23:51

Evidence grew this week that Turkey has plotted to use Syrians, many of them poor refugees who wanted to fight the Syrian regime, to fight against Armenia as part of Ankara’s attempt to hijack the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict. Ankara claims to be a close ally of Baku but it wants to dump Syrians in Azerbaijan, as it has in Libya and in illegally occupied Afrin in Syria, using them to gain influence for Ankara and subvert local authorities.

The mounting evidence, including numerous Syrians who spoke to Reuters, The Guardian and others, as well as recording that were sent to us at the ‘Post,’ leaves many questions. The men may have been recruited weeks ago but it was unclear if they were sent. However social media users claim to have identified where some were deployed and others allege several have been killed. It is worth weighing these claims against denials from Baku as well as assertions by Armenia.

How did it all begin? The remarkable attempt by Ankara over the last years has been part of an agenda that sought to redirect Syrian fighters from the Free Syrian Army to become a Turkish-backed force and fight Kurdish people in Syria. Turkey claims to be fighting “terrorists” that it claims are part of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria, even though there is no evidence of any terror coming from Syria. Turkey invaded Jarabulus in 2016 to stop the YPG in Manbij, and then invaded Afrin in January 2018 and Tel Abyad in October 2019. In Tel Abyad Turkey faced off against the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a partly Kurdish force. It again used a pethora of small Syrian groups it had recruited. Then, in December 2019 it began to arm and train them to fight in Libya. From January to July it sent thousands to Libya, where some died and some complained they were never paid the thousands of dollars promised.

Now Ankara, saddled with these recruits who have no where to go and know they have been betrayed by promises, wants to send them to the Caucuses. Increased evidence, including recordings sent by the men, indicate they are being mobilized. Allegations include geolocations asserting some are on the ground in Azerbaijan fighting to take Nagorna-Karabakh a disputed area that Azerbaijan says is illegally occupied by Armenia. For four days Azerbaijan has been fighting Armenia with limited gains. Armenia claims that Turkey shot down one of its planes and claims it has shot down 40 Azeri drones and destroyed vehicles. Azerbaijan says it has decimated Armenian armored columns. In such a conflict it is difficult to know what is accurate.

Azerbaijan says Armenia has imported “mercenaries.” Turkey has claimed that Armenia is supported by the “Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)” which Turkey asserts is linked to the YPG. Thus Turkey’s far-right media and ruling party claims that it has a right to send Syrians to fight the YPG in Armenia, exporting the Syrian war to another land. No evidence exists of the PKK involvement in Armenia, and only slim evidence exists that Turkey’s Syrian foreign legion has actually flown into Azerbaijan to fight. The evidence that does exist is detailed below.

One account says that two Syrian sources described a group of fighters being recruited. These men were linked to the Hamza unit of the Syrian National army or SNA. They are from some villages near Aleppo. Several may have been killed in battle since September 27, reports indicate. The self-declared Armenian republic of Artsakh in Nagorna-Karabakh told the Daily Beast that “thousands of mercenary soldiers from the Middle East” had been sent by Turkey. The Daily Beast went even further and asserted a fighter linked to ISIS had been sent. This account of an “ISIS warlord” was disputed by others. The Washington Post alleges that Turkey and Russia are both presiding over “mercenary wars.”

Hussein Akoush posted on Twitter on September 29 that “Muhammad Shaalan from my town of Al Atarib was killed in Azerbaijan.” Social media users identified Horadiz in Azerbaijan as the location where a truckload of Syrian mercenaries was allegedly spotted. Some noted that it was sad to see the Syrian opposition being “used this way,” as Nate Schenkkan tweeted.

Reuters spoke to two men who said they were going to be sent to Azerbaijan on September 25. They were going to be paid $1,500 a month. One fighter had been in Afrin where Turkey’s occupation forces have been accused of rape and looting. Another militia member from Jaish al-Nukhba also allegedly would deploy to Azerbaijan with “1,000 Syrians.” Al-Ain in the UAE also reported based on Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and other reports that up to 1,400 Syrians would be sent from Libya to Azerbaijan. These would be the first of 3,500 members of Ankara’s foreign legion.

Other units mentioned in dispatches include not only the Hamza unit but also recordings mention men from the Sultan Murad unit and Sultan Suleiman Shah unit, recruited and then transported from Afrin. These include fighters from the Turkmen minority in Syria who are encouraged to see the war through an ethnic lens of Turks against Armenians. Others were concerned that the Sunni fighters from Syria wouldn’t want to work with the Shi’ite Azeris and there was even a religious sermon against them going.

The Guardian said it spoke to three men in Turkish-occupied northern Syria who said that they had registered to fight. “Two brothers living in Azaz…said they were summoned to a military camp in Afrin on 13 September.” That would indicate that Turkey was planning the war in Azerbaijan in advance and prodding Baku to move more quickly. Turkey wanted to move the Syrians to Azerbaijan, perhaps for ulterior motives. Turkey has been working with Iran and Russia on deals in Syria. Some rumors have even suggested, according to sources in Azerbaijan, that Turkey could try to trade parts of Idlib to Russia in exchange for Azeri gains in Nagorna-Karabakh. To do that, Turkey would have to move the Syrians and give them a distraction. Ankara is cynical and already sent the to fight in Libya to die for an energy deal for Ankara, so it is not clear if the ruling party could conceive of something so macabre. These are rumors and conspiracies so it is impossible to verify if this is happening. Some have suggested recent regime moves in Idlib are part of the pattern. Others assert that Turkey is merely fighting the “PKK” or that it is pressuring Russia and Iran.

Azerbaijan has denied claims that any Syrians were sent. “The news of bringing fighters from Syria to Azerbaijan is fake.” The Azerbaijan statement says that Armenia has spread these rumors. However a source from Syria sent me a voice recording of a Syrian saying that other Syrians should not sign up to go to Azerbaijan. “Don’t let them come, never, the situation is not stable.” The man says that dozens have been killed and there are many injured already.” It was impossible to verify if the man was telling the truth.

There is always a fog of war. When there are competing agendas, such as what Turkey wants out of the conflict, compared to what Azerbaijan or Armenia want, or what Iran and Russia are interested in, the role of the Syrians becomes a political football. This is true of accusations that Syrian “YPG” went to Armenia or SNA. The concept of turning this conflict into a proxy war is inviting for Ankara, but no one gains in Baku or Yerevan. In the classic Russian question, “who benefits,” only Turkey seems to benefit because it can get rid of the headache of recruits it promised the world to and did not deliver. Russia may benefit by removing them from Syria so the regime can advance. Nevertheless serious experts have cast doubt on aspects of the stories, asserting, for instance, that salacious headlines often exaggerate.

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/evidence-mounts-that-turkey-recruited-syrians-to-fight-armenia-644078

[Yervant1]

CNN

Oct 1 2020

Rebels from Syria recruited to fight in conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, source says

By Kareem Khadder, Gul Tuysuz and Tim Lister, CNN

Updated 1802 GMT (0202 HKT) October 1, 2020

 

(CNN)Further evidence is emerging of rebels from Syria being recruited to fight as mercenaries in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

CNN spoke to a Syrian national who has been signed up to travel from northern Syria to Azerbaijan. The man, who declined to provide his real name, said he was living in the Afrin area of northern Syria but was originally from Damascus.

He said he belonged to a faction of the rebel Syrian National Army, which is backed by Turkey. Its leader had asked those prepared to go to Azerbaijan to register. "I voluntarily did that and 90% of my unit signed up," he told CNN via WhatsApp. "They told us that they will give us $1,500 a month.

"Our contracts are for three months, and every month we will be getting paid by the unit commander," he said, adding that he didn't know who was funding the operation.

The fighter contacted by CNN said volunteers were gathering in the Hawar Kilis area near the Syria-Turkey border awaiting transportation. The crossing is controlled by a faction of the Syrian National Army.

CNN reached out to the Turkish government for a response on whether it is recruiting Syrian fighters to go to Azerbaijan. The Foreign Ministry said they were "baseless allegations."

The Foreign Ministry in Azerbaijan also denied Syrian fighters were on Azeri soil, and spoke of "a completely false and slanderous smear campaign in some foreign media, allegedly in connection with the import of fighters from Syria to Azerbaijan." It said Armenia was behind the allegations.

The fighter contacted by CNN, a father of three, said his family was living below the poverty line. He was prepared to travel to Azerbaijan "because of the money, and all the world knows that the Syrians living here are dying of hunger."

To begin with, the man thought the volunteers would be involved in guard duty "but after the first batch of fighters went to Azerbaijan, we learned it was about fighting like the fighting in Syria and Libya."

"We learned it's war and not work for a security company," he said.

The man said he had heard that "around 1,000 fighters or more" had been signed up. "None of my relatives have went in the first batch, but I know guys who went in the first batch," he told CNN. He had also heard that some Syrians had been killed in Azerbaijan.

The man, who used to be a carpenter, said he wanted life to return to normal and was only going to Azerbaijan for the money. "I wish that the war will stop in Azerbaijan and Armenia but the only work is security work and that way I still can provide food and living for my children."

CNN reported earlier this year that dozens of Syrian rebels had been recruited by Turkish military contractors to fight on behalf of the transitional government in Libya.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in February that members of the Syrian National Army had gone to Libya to support the government.

Kareem Khadder reported from Jerusalem and Gul Tuysuz reported from Istanbul. Tim Lister wrote in Cordoba.

• 
  

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/01/middleeast/azerbaijan-armenia-syrian-rebels-intl/index.html

[Yervant1]

Shame on you government of Israel, I'm sure Israelis' are against this.

Jerusalem Post

Oct 1 2020

Armenia withdraws ambassador from Israel over Azerbaijan arms deal Azerbaijan has acknowledged using Israeli-made weapons in its fighting with ethnic Armenian forces around Nagorno-Karabakh.

By REUTERS

OCTOBER 1, 2020 22:19

Armenia said on Thursday it had recalled its ambassador to Israel for consultations over Israeli arms sales to Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan has acknowledged using Israeli-made weapons in its fighting with ethnic Armenian forces around Nagorno-Karabakh, where heavy clashes this week have drawn international calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Protesting against the Israeli weapons exports, Armenian foreign ministry spokeswoman Anna Naghdalyan said "Israel's workstyle is unacceptable. The ministry has to call back its ambassador in Israel."

Israel's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Asked for details on weapons sales to Azerbaijan, an Israeli defense ministry spokeswoman declined comment.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a leading conflict and armaments think-tank, Israel provided Azerbaijan with some $825 million in weapons between 2006 and 2019.

Those exports included drones, loitering munitions, anti-tank missiles, and a surface-to-air missile system, information from SIPRI's Arms Transfers Database showed.

Separately, in a video interview with Israel's Walla news website on Wednesday, Azeri presidential aide Hikmat Hajayev said Azerbaijan was using "some" Israeli-made drones in fighting around Nagorno-Karabakh, without specifying how many.

"(We) have one of the strongest (drone) fleets in the region. And among them we have Israeli ones, we have other drones as well, but Israeli drones especially, including reconnaissance and attack drones, and kamikaze 'Harop' drones, (which) have proved itself very effective," Hajayev said.

Israel's Foreign Ministry said it regretted Armenia's decision to recall its ambassador for consultations. "Israel attaches importance to our relations with Armenia and in this context sees the Armenian Embassy in Israel as an important tool for promoting them for the benefit of both peoples," the Foreign Ministry said.

Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/armenia-withdraws-allies-from-israel-over-azerbaijan-arms-deal-644212

 

[Yervant1]

The Telegraph, UK
Oct 1 2020

Armenian war veterans answer call to fight against Azerbaijan

Armenian media says 7,000 carloads of volunteers have already travelled to frontlines in Nagorno-Karabakh

By Colin Freeman Yerevan

A rocket shell landed in the Ivanyan community in the breakaway Nagorny Karabakh region CREDIT: Hayk Baghdasaryan / PHOTOLURE / AFP

When Simon Kakoyan last fought a war to claim Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia, he was in his early 20s and armed only with a hunting rifle. Now, three decades on, the battle to keep the territory in Armenian hands is being fought with hi-tech drones and laser-guided missiles.

But that has not stopped Mr Kakayan, now 55, answering the call of duty again. At an age when most men might be thinking about retirement, he has joined thousands of other Armenians in signing up to defend Nagorno-Karabakh in the latest bout of war with neighbouring Azerbaijan.

Ever since fighting broke out in the disputed enclave last weekend, the offices of the “Defenders of the Land” veteran's association in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, have been packed with ex-servicemen signing up for volunteer units.

It is not so much a Dad's Army as a Granddad's Army, with many recruits well into their 50s or 60s. But while some may now have grey hair and pot bellies, fighting spirit is not in short supply.

"I have come here to defend the homeland, because this coming war could be as bad as the one we fought 30 years ago," said Mr Kakoyan, as he waited in a courtyard with hundreds of other volunteers, many sporting military fatigues and hunting knives. "It doesn't matter if I am not young anymore, I can still do my bit."

According to the Armenian media, some 7,000 carloads of volunteers headed from Yerevan to Nagorno-Karabakh within 24 hours of fighting breaking out last Sunday.

Armenia_Azerbaijan conflict

Each side is already claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on the other, while accusing the other of targeting civilians.

Azerbaijan has not acknowledged military casualties but its Prosecutor General's Office said 55 civilians had been hospitalised and 16 people killed by Armenian shelling. Armenia has reported the deaths of 104 soldiers, alongside seven civilians killed and 31 wounded.

Two French reporters from Le Monde newspaper and two Armenian journalists were also wounded by Azeri artillery fire on the town of Martuni on Thursday, the Armenian government reported. Such casualties have not deterred younger Armenian volunteers, many of whom were not even born during the original war in which Armenian-dominated Nagorno Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijani control.

"We are here today to go and fight, but yes, we are all scared," said Gurgan Yereitsayan, 22, who had turned up to the Defenders of the Land office with a large group of young friends.

The stream of recruits of all ages reflects the sense of pride with which Armenians regard Nagorno-Karabakh, where an estimated 30,000 people died during six years of brutal combat with Azeri forces between 1988 and 1994.

Despite the volunteers’ enthusiasm, there are concerns in Armenia that oil-rich Azerbaijan - now much wealthier than it was in the early 1990s - may today wield the upper hand militarily.

While the original war was fought by two rag-tag ex-Soviet armies with roughly even weaponry, today Azerbaijan has invested in high-tech drone missiles capable of knocking out Nagorno-Karabakh's well dug-in defensive positions.

Azerbaijan’s defence ministry has released numerous clips of aerial footage showing Armenian military vehicles exploding after being targeted by weaponised drones.

The Azeri forces also have strategic backing this time from Turkey, which has been accused by Armenia of hiring 4,000 Syrian jihadist mercenaries to fight on behalf of Azerbaijan.

While no firm evidence has yet emerged of the Syrian mercenaries' presence, soldiers of fortune have fought in Nagorno Karabakh before. During the original conflict in the 1990s, mercenaries from Afghanistan and Chechnya played an important role on the Azeri aside, while Russian and Ukrainian guns for hire fought on both sides.

Leyla Abdullayeva, the head of media at Azerbaijan’s foreign affairs ministry, denied the use of Syrian mercenaries, saying “Armenia is behind these allegations, which are not based on any facts”.

Whatever the truth of the matter, the spectre of Islamic extremists running amok among Nagorno-Karabakh's Christian Armenians has proved a powerful recruitment tool.

"We have heard the reports about the 4,000 Syrian mercenaries coming over," said veteran Vardan Melkonian, 47, who turned up at the recruitment centre wearing a utility vest containing Kalashnikov magazines. "But that is Azerbaijan for you - they need to pay people to come to fight, and to get Turkey involved. We Armenians do not need to do that, we will fight for ourselves."

A defiant Turkey has thrown its support behind its ally Azerbaijan and on Thursday opposed a joint call for an immediate ceasefire issued by France, Russia and the United States. "Given that the USA, Russia and France have neglected this problem for nearly 30 years, it is unacceptable that they are involved in a search for a ceasefire," President Recept Tayyip Erdogan told his parliament.

With neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan so far taking up offers of Russian-brokered peace talks, many predict that Azerbaijan will now attempt to seize the advantage, using its extra air power to regain strategic positions lost during the original conflict.

Dominating the ground, though, could embroil Azeri troops into a protracted guerrilla war that many Armenians would be only too willing to fight. In many Armenian families, grandfathers, fathers and sons are now all back on active service on the Nagorno-Karabakh frontiers, and having spilled blood to claim the territory as a homeland 30 years ago, they are willing to bleed again to keep it that way.

"Even my wife clapped when I told her I was volunteering to fight," smiled Mr Melkonian.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/10/01/armenian-granddads-volunteer-take-arms-nagorno-karabakh-clashes/

[Yervant1]

Local 12

Oct 1 2020

Armenia says it shot down Azerbaijani drone near capital

________________________________

by AVET DEMOURIAN Associated PressFriday, October 2nd 2020

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia's military said its rockets shot down an Azerbaijani drone near the capital on Thursday night, as heavy fighting persisted in the conflict over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

This week's fighting is the biggest escalation in years in the decades-long dispute over the region, which is inside Azerbaijan but controlled by local ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia.

Two French and two Armenian journalists were injured Thursday in the fighting.

Late Thursday, Armenia fired anti-aircraft missiles that took down a drone over the town of Abovian, about 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of the capital of Yerevan, said defense ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanian. No casualties were reported.

Azerbaijani forces reportedly have shelled other Armenian villages outside Nagorno-Karabakh, but not as deeply into the country as Yerevan.

Two Le Monde reporters were wounded in morning shelling in the town of Martuni, the newspaper said. Armenia’s Foreign Ministry said they were being taken to a hospital and accused Azerbaijan of bombarding the region.

A cameraman with the Armenia TV channel and a reporter with the Armenian 24News outlet also were injured in the Martuni shelling, Armenian officials said. It was unclear how badly the four journalists were hurt. A Russian journalist with the independent Dozhd TV channel was reported to have reached a bomb shelter safely.

The clashes broke out Sunday in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region within Azerbaijan that has been controlled by Armenian forces since the end of a separatist war a quarter-century ago. Fighting has continued unchecked since then, killing dozens and leaving scores wounded. Armenian and Azerbaijani forces blame each other for continuing attacks.

The two ex-Soviet nations have been locked for decades in a conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, where a separatist war was fought in the early 1990s, ending in 1994 — three years after the breakup of the Soviet Union. The 4,400-square-kilometer (1,700-square-mile) enclave in the Caucasus Mountains, roughly the size of the U.S. state of Delaware, lies 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Armenian border.

Soldiers backed by Armenia occupy the region as well as some Azerbaijani territory outside of it.

Shrapnel holes are seen in a fence in Hadrut province of self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. (Karo Sahakyan/ArmGov PAN Photo via AP)

The president of Azerbaijan said Armenia’s withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh was the sole condition to end the fighting. Armenian officials claim Turkey is involved in the conflict, allegedly sending fighters from Syria to the region and deploying Turkish F-16 fighter jets to assist Azerbaijnai forces.

Turkey has publicly supported Azerbaijan in the conflict and said it would provide assistance if requested but denies sending in foreign mercenaries or arms.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry on Thursday said a civilian was killed and two were wounded when Azerbaijan fired on the town of Shatvan in Armenian territory.

Continued fighting in the turbulent region prompted calls for a cease-fire from around the globe and raised concerns of a broader conflict potentially involving other regional powers.

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the issue in a phone call Wednesday night and both “share concern about the sending of Syrian mercenaries by Turkey to Nagorno-Karabakh." Macron's office did not elaborate.

An unexploded projectile of multiple rocket launcher stuck into land near a settlement in self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. (Hayk Baghdasaryan/Photolure via AP)

Macron later told reporters in Brussels that “we have information today that we're confident in” that Syrian fighters have been deployed to Azerbaijan. “It's a very serious new development that also changes the balance of things,” he said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday expressed concern over reports about “militants from illegal armed groups" from Syria and Libya being sent to the conflict zone in Nagorno-Karabakh. It didn’t provide further details, but in a statement urged the “leadership of the states concerned to take effective measures to prevent the use of foreign terrorists and mercenaries in the conflict.”

Macron said he and Putin urged restraint and agreed upon the need for a joint effort toward a cease-fire, as part of international mediation efforts for Nagorno-Karabakh led by Russia, France and the U.S.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on Turkey's alleged involvement in the conflict, but said that “any statements about military support for one of the (opposing) sides” can provoke further escalation of tensions in the region.

“We believe that any participation of third countries in this confrontation can also have extremely negative consequences," Peskov said.

___

Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris and Daria Litvinova in Moscow contributed.

See photos at

https://local12.com/news/nation-world/armenia-says-it-shot-down-azerbaijani-drone-near-capital?fbclid=IwAR03euGPfueEvrJRVNVoLXdil6EV5d8LL_4Fcqxs5Ym7eX5qLp8M4dZ1hp8

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

“Relative stable tension” in all directions of frontline remains, says Artsakhi military

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08:19, 1 October, 2020

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Amid the ongoing Azeri attacks, the Artsakh Defense Ministry said that “relatively stable tensions” maintained overnight September 30-October 1 at the Artsakh-Azerbaijan conflict zone.

The Azeri troops attempted regrouping and movement of troops to improve the battle orders but were thwarted by Artsakhi military.

“The operative-tactical situation remains unchanged. The stable tension in all directions of the frontline remains,” Artsakh’s military said, adding that its Defense Army troops and the on-duty veterans are ready for further missions.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1029730.html?fbclid=IwAR2Wn0M5DWZLnrX0FRJxolG4VUYQaBlynaVujRu2j7u375h_GPYeMNSq0Ig

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

‘Finally, our diplomacy recorded a major victory’ – Armenian PM says

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09:48, 1 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Finally, our diplomacy has recorded a major victory, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said on Facebook.

“The international community has clearly recorded that the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem is fighting against Artsakh and Armenia with the help of mercenary-terrorists. Thus, the Artsakh frontline is becoming a civilizational frontline. Artsakh is fighting against the international terrorism, the targets of which are not separated by geopolitical borders.

This terrorism equally threatens the US and Iran, Russia and France, and Artsakh, Armenia and the Armenian people are fighting for global security”, the PM said.

Armenia and Artsakh declared a martial law after Azerbaijan launched military operations against Artsakh on September 27 and against Armenia on September 29 with the involvement of Turkey.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1029741.html?fbclid=IwAR1z7q39fTFxp1wm1NkRfOdd70R3Kp4lEUgoyGkx-ZPG-Hl8IphORuqJlrI

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Armenpress.am

Azerbaijani combat drone shot down above civilian settlement in Artsakh

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10:51, 1 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS. An Azerbaijani military drone breached the airspace of Artsakh and was operating above the civilian residential district of the town of Askeran. The UAV was shot down by the Artsakh military.

The Artsakh authorities have released images of the UAV’s wreckage in Askeran.

“The peaceful settlement was in the crosshairs of the UAV, it was shot down next to the residential district,” Artsakh’s Information Center said.

7 civilians in Artsakh have been killed by Azeri bombings since the attacks began on September 27.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1029746.html?fbclid=IwAR1H1DBf52YljGitHdEbHz77pHdKfAZTWfDEAxzRmDTLVspPe2PI4NQSTJ0

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Armenpress.am

European Wrestling champion Arsen Harutyunyan joins the military amid Azerbaijani attacks

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10:36, 1 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenian freestyle wrestler, 2019 European Wrestling Champion Arsen Harutyunyan has volunteered and joined the Artsakhi military amid the Azeri attacks.

The Wrestling Federation said Harutyunyan is already in Artsakh and has joined the troops.

Harutyunyan’s father, a war veteran, is also in Artsakh serving in the military.

103 servicemen of the Artsakh military have been killed in the Turkish-backed Azerbaijani attacks since September 27. Over 120 troops are wounded. 7 civilians were also killed in different cities of Artsakh as Azeri forces bombarded towns.

According to latest reports, the Azeri forces lost more than 920 servicemen in the their offensive operations with more than 2100 wounded. The Azeris have also lost 84 UAVs, 7 gunships, 166 tanks and armored equipment, 1 warplane and 1 Smerch launcher.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1029745.html?fbclid=IwAR1z7q39fTFxp1wm1NkRfOdd70R3Kp4lEUgoyGkx-ZPG-Hl8IphORuqJlrI

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Armenpress.am

‘We are in full strength in our spirit to defend our land’: Armenian FM tells Sky News Arabia

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11:08, 1 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani side has been threatening with the use of force and now they are using force seeking military solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and expecting unilateral concessions from Nagorno Karabakh or from Armenia that is out of question, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said in an interview to Sky News Arabia.

Sky News Arabia: I want to ask first about what are the preconditions that will lead Armenia to enter the negotiations?

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Armenia doesn’t have any preconditions. Armenia has firm commitment that there is no alternative to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Azerbaijani side has been threatening the use of force and now they are using force seeking military solution to this conflict and expecting unilateral concessions from Nagorno-Karabakh or from Armenia that is out of question. We are firmly committed to the peaceful settlement. However, we are in full strength in our spirit, in our capacity to defend our land, to defend our people, to defend the security of Nagorno-Karabakh and of Armenia. The Armenian people in Nagorno-Karabakh are very determined to defend themselves. And Armenia has been and remains the sole security guarantor for Nagorno-Karabakh. We will defend. There is no alternative to peace. Azerbaijan should stop its military aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh; come to its senses and peacefully negotiate the resolution of this conflict.

Sky News Arabia: How do you see the intervention of Turkey in this conflict and sending some people to solve such conflicts?

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Turkey is the destabilizing force in this entire situation. They have been fueling tension with all their aggressive policies in the South Caucasus. They have been unilaterally supporting Azerbaijan; transferring armaments; transferring terrorist fighters recruited from parts of Syria they control and from Libya. We have absolutely credible information and facts about this happening. They have been transferred to Azerbaijan. They are fighting our people today. Their equipment, their aviation are in the air. They are on the ground. They are used against our people. Turkey is the destabilizing party to this conflict. They have been doing this in the Eastern Mediterranean, they have been doing this in the Middle East, in North Africa. Now they have projected this to the South Caucasus as well. This is totally rejected. They are not welcomed here.

Sky News Arabia: Did you take any procedures of measures the information to this intervention for example by the international arena, especially in the United Nations, for example?

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: We are working for the peaceful resolution within the internationally agreed format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, which comprises France, Russia, and the United States. We are working very closely, with our partners, to calm the situation, to de-escalate, and to come back to the negotiations. France, Russia, and the US are working very actively, and I think there is a good mobilization on the part of the International community, on the part of the United Nations, on the part of the European Union, on the part of the Russian Federation, which denies Turkey, the role of a destabilizer in this region. We will continue to engage firmly with all our partners to de-escalate and to exclude the external actors from this region and to stop them from these destabilizing actions they have been taking.

Sky News Arabia: Armenia refused to have any peace talks with Azerbaijan, with Russian mediation. What is the closest mediation to you, or the best mediation for you in any negotiations coming to you in this time?

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Well, I don’t think you are well informed about this, because, you know, Armenia has not been rejecting the negotiating process. I run to repeat: the negotiating process is happening within the internationally mandated format, which comprises three countries: Russia, France, and the United States. And we are working within this internationally agreed format. We are committed to this and we will continue to do that. There is no talk of Armenia rejecting any negotiations. It’s exactly the opposite. It is the Azerbaijani position of maximalism and the use of force that we are now witnessing, which assumes that there is a military option to the resolution of this conflict. With our resolve to defend, we deny, we reject this military option. There is only peaceful settlement to this conflict.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1029749.html?fbclid=IwAR2mVihql1AHAZTFdlyB31OR6iDY0SRDY0ETteHIbCsvPlggABvldpSAtQw

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Armenpress.am

Azerbaijani forces suffer heavy losses

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12:27, 1 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani forces lost 350-360 more troops in their ongoing offensive against Artsakh, the Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan said at a news conference.

“Fierce battles didn’t take place at night, small combat operations took place in individual sections. The adversary performed some regrouping process. However, this morning the battles flared up. We have the following picture from the overnight and early morning battles – all enemy offensive attempts, regardless of size and tactics, failed. The adversary was repelled. Adversary servicemen losses are between 350-360, with nearly 600 wounded. 3 helicopters were shot down, around 15 various types of armored equipment, including infantry combat vehicles were destroyed, as well as 1 Smerch system, 6 UAVs,” he said.

Hovhannisyan said the combat operations continue, mostly artillery strikes.

According to the latest information, Artsakh’s military suffered 103 killed troops and over 120 wounded since the fighting began on September 27.

Around 1280 Azeri forces were killed in action and 2700 are wounded since the Azeri attack began on September 27. Azerbaijan’s armed forces lost 90 UAVs, 11 helicopters, 181 tanks and armored equipment, 1 warplane and 2 Smerch systems.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1029767.html?fbclid=IwAR1H1DBf52YljGitHdEbHz77pHdKfAZTWfDEAxzRmDTLVspPe2PI4NQSTJ0

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Armenpress.am

Artsakh shoots down attacking Azeri warplane and gunship

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14:32, 1 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Air Defense units of the Artsakh Defense Army shot down 1 aircraft and 1 helicopter of the Azerbaijani armed forces in the southern and south-eastern directions on October 1, Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said.

She said the wreckage of the Azeri warplane crashed into territory under Artsakh’s control.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1029789.html?fbclid=IwAR1MVvVJfBo3lfbRNImjMUMd1ZKAdjM2SK2uy3POwl67IG2Q5hlkvbFrs5M

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Armenpress.am

Artsakh downs another Azeri warplane

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14:42, 1 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Artsakh Air Defense Forces shot down another Azerbaijani warplane on October 1, the military’s spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said.

Moments ago she reported that the Air Defense units of the Artsakh Defense Army had shot down 1 warplane and 1 helicopter of the Azerbaijani armed forces in the southern and south-eastern directions on October 1.

The Azeri air force has lost three warplanes since the fighting began from September 27.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1029790.html?fbclid=IwAR077e7mQ6FCwu19Q144NHsv_CbQVA4WHlOJG9Y7xWMz7C7a5sNnKCJdQVA

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Armenpress.am

Downed Azeri warplanes include two SU-25s, one “newer generation jet”

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16:28, 1 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Two of the three Azeri warplanes that were shot down by Artsakh on October 1 were SU-25s, while the other one was a newer generation aircraft, a military expert said.

Information about the third downed jet will be updated.

The Azeri air force has lost a total of 4 warplanes since they launched the offensive against Artsakh on September 27.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1029814.html?fbclid=IwAR3i7zbIaSO0aB6ZXE6COCQRpyQAd4DgnNBpcreV2z79bXF5EzMKMSWrQJ4

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Arab News, Saudi Arabia

Oct 2 2020

Armenians feel uneasy in Turkey, says Turkish MP

• Ankara has lost neutrality in Karabakh resolution process, Garo Paylan tells Arab News

ANKARA: The recent clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region seem to be evolving into a conflict in which all regional actors are participating — particularly Turkey and Russia — whether through attempts to control information, drone usage, or the employment of foreign mercenaries.

Garo Paylan, one of the few Armenian members of Turkey’s parliament and a member of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), has been an outspoken critic of Turkey’s recent policies on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

“Turkey is currently the only country that supports war, although it is a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is tasked with negotiating a settlement to the Karabakh conflict,” Paylan told Arab News. “But Ankara has lost all neutrality in this process.”

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been holding joint military exercises for some time with Turkey and Russia respectively, which has likely resulted in improving their military capabilities in the difficult terrain and the soon-to-arrive harsh winter conditions. The Azeri army is using Turkish-made drones.

According to Paylan, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey will all be losers if the conflict in Karabakh is allowed to continue, while Russia will be the only winner. He believes that Moscow is taking advantage of Turkey to make Azerbaijan and Armenia much more dependent on Russia in the energy-rich region.

Turkey’s energy cooperation with Azerbaijan is on the rise, in contrast with its diminishing imports from Russia and Iran, its erstwhile major sources. Turkey reportedly plans to establish a permanent military base in Azerbaijan.

However, to what extent Turkey will be willing to risk undermining its relationship with Russia, or whether Ankara will attempt to use this crisis to gain leverage over Moscow, is still unclear, as both countries support opposing sides in the Libyan and Syrian conflicts.

In the meantime, the current escalation of regional tensions has had direct repercussions over citizens of Armenian descent living in Turkey.

Convoys of cars flying the flag of Azerbaijan and sounding their horns regularly participate in demonstrations in Istanbul, particularly in areas where the majority of residents are Armenian. The street demonstrations began on Monday in the district where the headquarters of the Armenian Patriarchate is located.

Paylan has repeatedly called on authorities to guard against the alarming rise in incidents of hate speech against Armenians on both social and mainstream media, and warned of the potential for hate crimes sparked by the government’s bellicose support for Azerbaijan. Ibrahim Karagul, editor-in-chief of a major pro-government newspaper in Turkey, recently called on Turkey to “accidentally” drop a bomb on the Armenian capital, Yerevan.

Before the First World War, there were an estimated 2.4 million Armenians living in Turkey. There are currently around 60,000, mostly residents of Istanbul.

Omer Celik, the spokesperson of the ruling Justice and Development Party, said the government would not allow the demonstrators to threaten Armenian citizens, but the fact that president Recep Tayyip Erdogan remained silent has sparked criticism.

According to Paylan, the Karabakh conflict has triggered a rise in nationalism and racism, and now poses a real danger to Armenians in Turkey.

“Any hate speech towards the Armenian people makes our own citizens an imminent target. The government is using this conflict for domestic consumption. Armenian-origin citizens have become scapegoats, and the object of rising racism and hate speech,” he said.

Hrant Dink, a well-known Turkish-Armenian journalist and intellectual, was killed in 2007 in an armed attack by a young Turkish ultranationalist in Istanbul, whose trial is still ongoing. That case has become a symbol of hate crimes against minorities in Turkey, and continues to be dogged by allegations of state involvement 13 years later, as full details have yet to be revealed.

Before his murder, Dink famously said, “I feel like a dove, fearful and free at the same time. But I know that the people in this country would never dare touch a dove.”

Paylan believes the Armenian community shares those same feelings at the moment.

“The current climate reminds me of previous anti-Armenian pogroms. We have experienced this worrying trend for the past four generations,” Paylan said.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1743071/middle-east

[Yervant1]

The Hill, DC

Oct 1 2020

Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning Azerbaijan, Turkey for conflict with Armenia

By Laura Kelly - 10/01/20 08:18 PM EDT

Congressional lawmakers on Thursday introduced a bipartisan resolution condemning Azerbaijan for an outbreak of violence against Armenia in the contested area of Nagorno-Karabakh, and calling out Turkey for interfering in the conflict.

The measure was introduced by bipartisan members of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, including Reps. Jackie SpeierKaren (Jackie) Lorraine Jacqueline SpeierLawmakers introduce resolution condemning Azerbaijan, Turkey for conflict with ArmeniaDemocrats introduce bill to combat sexual harassment at State DepartmentOvernight Defense: House to vote on military justice bill spurred by Vanessa Guillén death | Biden courts veterans after Trump's military controversiesMORE (D-Calif.), Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffLawmakers introduce resolution condemning Azerbaijan, Turkey for conflict with ArmeniaDemocrats gear up for clash with DHS over whistleblower caseHillicon Valley: House panel says Intelligence Community not equipped to address Chinese threats | House approves bill to send cyber resources to state, local governmentsMORE (D-Calif.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and 32 other members.

The resolution condemns Azerbaijan for instigating fighting that broke out on the border with the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, an area that falls within sovereign Azerbaijan but is controlled by ethnic Armenians.

The former Soviet Union countries have gone through episodes of devastating violence on both sides, with massacres and forced displacement that underscore the hostilities taking place today.

The territory since 1994 has been under a fragile ceasefire and stalled peace process mediated by the United States, Russia and France — collectively known as the Minsk Group.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpPresident Trump, Melania Trump test positive for COVID-19 Trump, first lady to quarantine after top aide tests positive for coronavirusSecret recordings show Melania Trump was frustrated about criticism of Trump 2018 border separation policy: CNNMORE, along with Russian President Vladimir PutinVladimir Vladimirovich PutinLawmakers introduce resolution condemning Azerbaijan, Turkey for conflict with ArmeniaMcMaster: Trump 'aiding and abetting Putin's efforts' at election interferenceDemocrat asks intelligence director if Trump's personal debt is security problemMORE and French President Emanuel Macron issued a statement Thursday calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for both Baku and Yerevan to commit to negotiations.

But fighting in the territory has escalated outside of the borders into Armenia and Azerbaijan in nearly a week of hostilities, where the use of heavy military weapons, including tanks, artillery and airstrikes, has resulted in dozens of deaths and hundreds wounded, including civilians.

Congressional lawmakers called out Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev for “increasingly aggressive rhetoric and destabilizing actions,” and cited reports in The Guardian that Baku’s assault on Nagorno-Karabakh may be “part of an organized military operation.”

The lawmakers’ resolution echoes calls by the international community for both sides to observe a ceasefire and return to negotiations under the Minsk Group.

They also condemn Turkey’s interference in the fighting, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – who's pledged support for Azerbaijan – reportedly sending fighters to Baku and deploying F-16 fighter jets that shot down an Armenian drone, according to Armenia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The language in the resolution is stronger than statements issued by Trump administration officials and Senate Republicans, who have refrained from calling out Turkey for its role in the conflict and have instead warned against “external parties” and “regional powers” exacerbating the conflict.

Democrats in both the House and Senate have issued statements calling for the White House to halt military sales to Azerbaijan and condemn Turkey for its interference.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden also called on the White House to condemn Turkey’s involvement.

The resolution was welcomed by the Armenian Assembly of America for condemning Azerbaijan and denouncing Turkey’s role in the conflict.

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“This resolution sends a powerful message to Turkey and Azerbaijan to cease its hostile actions immediately. We urge its immediate passage,” said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.

https://thehill.com/policy/international/519263-lawmakers-introduce-resolution-condemning-azerbaijan-turkey-for-conflict

[Yervant1]

Axios

Oct 2 2020

Turkey's Erdoğan opposes ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh

Dave Lawler, author of World

Calls for an unconditional ceasefire in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh have been rejected by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and by Turkey — which has reportedly sent weapons and even Syrian mercenaries to aid its ally Azerbaijan.

Why it matters: The risk of a full-fledged war appears to be growing after five days of clashes and more than 100 deaths. Armenia claims it shot down an Azeri drone Thursday night near its capital, Yerevan.

What they're saying: President Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin — the "Minsk Group" co-chairs — released a joint statement Thursday calling for an "immediate cessation of hostilities.”

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan replied: "Given that the USA, Russia and France have neglected this problem for nearly 30 years, it is unacceptable that they are involved in a search for a ceasefire.”
• Armenia has raged over Turkey's intervention and also withdrawn its ambassador from Israel. As Axios' Barak Ravid scooped, Azerbaijan is using Israeli weapons including “kamikaze drones” in the fighting.
• Armenia has a powerful military ally in Russia. But Russia also has deep ties to Azerbaijan and is trying to maintain its mediator role.

What to watch: Erdoğan’s involvement in the conflict is a “wildcard,” the International Crisis Group’s Olesya Vartanyan told the “Global Dispatches” podcast, as it's unclear just how far he’s willing to push things.

• It's also now "much harder to mediate because there’s nothing to offer through talks — all negotiations have broken down," she says, including after previous skirmishes in July.

Background: The mountainous region of around 150,000 people is populated mainly by ethnic Armenians but lies within the borders of Azerbaijan. The countries have both claimed the territory since the collapse of the Soviet Union, fought a war over it from 1992-1994, and stood on the precipice of further conflict since.

https://www.axios.com/turkey-erdogan-opposes-ceasefire-nagorno-karabakh-2361830b-7972-4898-8298-c95737fbd82f.html

[Yervant1]

Arab News, Saudi Arabia

Oct 2 2020

Azerbaijan, Turkey must commit to peace in good faith, says Armenia’s permanent representative to the UN Mher Margaryan

• In interview with Arab News, the Armenian diplomat says Yerevan will not allow “another genocide” against Armenians

• • He says the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh have all the rights to live in their ancestors’ historical land without fear

   

   

   

NEW YORK CITY: As the death toll continues to climb in the latest violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the decades-old rivalry have intensified.

Russia, France, and the US — co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group created in 1992 to encourage a negotiated resolution to the conflict — have called for an immediate cease-fire and a return to negotiations without delay.

Russia has offered to host talks between the foreign ministers of the warring countries, insisting there is no alternative to “political and diplomatic methods” for resolving the crisis.

The UN Security Council has issued a similar call to urgently resume talks without preconditions, backing an earlier appeal by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to de-escalate the conflict and return to meaningful negotiations.

“Armenia never refused to sit for peaceful negotiations,” said Mher Margaryan, Armenia’s permanent representative to the UN, in an interview with Arab News. “But it doesn’t seem to be the intention of Azerbaijan to follow the calls for peace.”

At the onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Guterres made an appeal for a global cease-fire to help stem the spread of the virus.

“Azerbaijan not only refused to unconditionally support the secretary-general’s appeal, but also resorted to a large-scale military intervention,” added Margaryan.

“The (Azerbaijani) offensive comes amid a global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, when the international community is focused on fighting the disease.

“Azerbaijan has decided to take advantage of these global vulnerabilities caused by the pandemic. So, this is not just an attack against Armenians but (also) an attack against the basic norms of humanity, an attack against what the UN stands for.”

French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said he and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “also shared their concern regarding the sending of Syrian mercenaries by Turkey to Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Margaryan said Armenia was very concerned by the alleged involvement of foreign fighters. “These foreign mercenaries are actually being recruited and transported with the support and encouragement of Turkey. We have to name the names: (The Turks) have been a very destructive element in this conflict. They need to be encouraged to stop.”

 

 

The envoy said Azerbaijan’s actions, “while they took the world by surprise,” had been preceded by ”years of dangerous rhetoric, hate speech and Armeniaphobia, embraced and promulgated at the highest political level.”

“The leadership of Azerbaijan has been promoting hate crimes and glorifying hate criminals. At the same time, they have been spending billions of dollars to acquire deadly offensive weaponry and openly threatening the people of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh with promises to use force.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1742976/world

[Yervant1]

The Wall Street Journal

Oct 2 2020

Turkey’s Foray Into Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Tests Russia’s Influence Moscow’s attempts to stay neutral over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are threatened by President Erdogan’s support for Azerbaijan

By

David Gauthier-Villars, Ann M. Simmons

Turkey’s role in the growing clash between Armenia and Azerbaijan—two countries Moscow regards as within its sphere of influence—is adding a new element to a string of proxy fights pitting Turkey and Russia against each other and challenging Russia’s longstanding policy of neutrality over the simmering conflict.

Roughly the size of Delaware, the province of Nagorno-Karabakh—a disputed enclave within Azerbaijan—has been a flashpoint between Azerbaijan and Armenia since the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan but controlled by pro-Armenian rebels.

About 30,000 people were killed in fighting over a six-year period before a cease-fire in 1994. But hostilities resumed last week, with each side blaming the other for a series of surprise attacks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has long worked to keep former Soviet republics bound tightly to Moscow, and has sought to stay on good terms with both Azerbaijan and Armenia, due to their strategic location along an important energy corridor coveted by the West.

Now, a more assertive Turkey is testing that stance. Hours after fighting broke out, Turkey announced its unconditional support for Azerbaijan, with which it shares ethnic and cultural ties. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated that support on Friday.

“As Turkey, with all our means and with all our heart, we stand with fellow and brother Azerbaijan and we will continue to stand with it,” he said. “God willing, until Nagorno-Karabakh is liberated from invasion, this struggle will continue.”

The scope of Turkey’s support is unclear. France’s President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that he had information that mercenaries from Syria had passed through Turkey to reach Nagorno-Karabakh.

Mr. Erdogan’s government has denied the claim but its open support for Azerbaijan—the latest example of Turkey’s more muscular foreign policy—is putting Russia on the back foot at a delicate time for Moscow. A pro-democracy movement is threatening to pry Belarus from Moscow’s sphere of influence, and a wave of protests in Russia’s Far East is challenging Mr. Putin’s own standing.

“We use our privileges to be a welcomed party by both Armenia and Azerbaijan,” said Sergey Markedonov, senior researcher at the government-run Moscow State Institute of International Relations. “Turkey concentrates only on one side and it creates obstacles for Russia, because it pushes Azerbaijan to make a choice.”

Moscow doesn’t “look kindly on other powers, Western powers, trying to engage in the region without Russian participation, Russian consent,” said Chris Miller, co-director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

But Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan, said Thomas de Waal, a senior fellow with the Carnegie Europe think tank, has left Russia on the defensive.

“If they were to try and step in to support the Armenians, they would lose Azerbaijan and they would lose that role [as a mediator],” he said.

Turkey is already involved in two proxy conflicts with Russia—in Libya, where it is supporting the internationally recognized government against rebels backed by Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and in Syria, where Moscow is a staunch ally of President Bashar al-Assad.

 

 

 

Ahmet Kasim Han, a professor at Altinbas University in Istanbul, says Turkey would be loath to open a new front by sending forces to Nagorno-Karabakh. “It would legitimize Russia sending in more troops,” he said, noting that Moscow already has close military ties with Armenia, and has stationed some 5,000 troops along its border with Turkey. Armenia is also part of a Russian-led mutual defense alliance.

Azerbaijan, a far wealthier country than Armenia thanks to its oil reserves, has diversified its arms-supply chain, notably buying drones from Israel, but remains a significant buyer of Russian weaponry.

Yet even in pro-Russian Armenia, Moscow’s neutral approach is ruffling feathers.

“We don’t like that Russia as our strategic allied partner is selling [weapons] to our direct enemy,” Armenia’s deputy defense minister Gabriel Balayan said.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/turkeys-foray-into-armenia-azerbaijan-conflict-tests-russias-influence-11601656026

[Yervant1]

PRNewswire

Oct 2 2020

CSI Condemns Turkish, Azerbaijani, and Syrian Jihadist Aggression Against Armenian Christians

In open letter to President Trump, human rights group calls for U.S. to suspend military aid to Azerbaijan and Turkey

News provided by

Christian Solidarity International (CSI)

Oct 02, 2020, 13:14 ET

ZURICH, Oct. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Christian Solidarity International, a human rights NGO campaigning for religious freedom and human dignity, today condemned the joint Turkish-Azerbaijani attack on Nagorno-Karabakh, a tiny region in the Caucuses inhabited by 150,000 Christian Armenians. CSI's International President, Dr. John Eibner, labeled the assault "a renewed attempt to destroy one of the world's oldest Christian communities," which "risks setting off a new regional war."

In an open letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, Eibner thanked Trump for calling for an end to the offensive in a joint communiqué with the presidents of France and Russia issued on Thursday. Eibner urged the president to go farther, and use the United States' "considerable leverage" with Turkey, Azerbaijan and allied Syrian jihadists to "bring peace, stability and security for all the inhabitants of this turbulent region, regardless of ethnicity or religion."

Azerbaijan launched a major attack on Nagorno Karabakh on Sunday, 27 September. Islamist Turkey, openly pursing its declared policy of "neo-Ottomanism," has provided crucial support for the offensive, including bringing thousands of jihadists from the battlefield in Syria to fight against Christians in Nagorno Karabakh. Thousands of Armenians and Azerbaijanis have been displaced by the fighting, and reports of civilian casualties are on the rise.

Nagorno Karabakh, known to Armenians as "Artsakh," is part of the historic homeland of the Armenian people. The Soviet Union placed the Armenian-majority region within the boundaries of Azerbaijan in the 1920s, when Azerbaijan and Armenian were both under Soviet rule. When the two countries became independent after the Soviet Union's collapse, Azerbaijani forces began a campaign to cleanse Nagorno Karabakh of its Armenian population, leading to war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The war was suspended in 1994 with a fragile ceasefire and with Nagorno-Karabakh as de facto Armenian-ruled republic.

Eibner reminded President Trump that Armenian Christians were the victims of a genocide in Turkey from 1915-1923, that Azerbaijan had tried to cleanse Nagorno Karabakh of Armenians in the 1990s, and that Turkish-backed jihadists had targeted Armenians in Aleppo, Syria, for kidnapping and murder in the recent war, leading most of Aleppo's Armenians – largely descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors – to flee.

"This genocide of Armenians in installments must now come to an end," Eibner said.

Eibner urged Trump to take three steps in concert with Russia and France: 1) to "suspend all lethal and non-lethal military aid to all three elements of the anti-Armenian military coalition" – Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Syrian jihadists; 2) to "provide security guarantees for the existentially threatened people of the region," and 3) to "produce a plan of economic support and development for Nagorno Karabakh," "modelled on the program implemented by your administration in Iraq for Christians and other minority communities victimized by the Islamic State."

CONTACT: Joel Veldkamp, joel.veldkamp@csi-int.org

SOURCE Christian Solidarity International (CSI)

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/csi-condemns-turkish-azerbaijani-and-syrian-jihadist-aggression-against-armenian-christians-301144973.html

[Yervant1]

Op India

Oct 2 2020

Presence of Pakistani fighters on the ground alongside Azerbaijan forces won’t be a surprise: Armenia Foreign Minister Avet Adonts

Pakistan has refuted the allegations of its forces fighting alongside Azerbaijan against Armenia made by Armenian foreign minister

As the spectre of a full-blown war between Armenia and Azerbaijan looms around the corner, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Avet Adonts, said in an interview with Zee News that it won’t be a surprise to find fighters from Pakistan to battle alongside mercenaries operating in Azerbaijan.

Adonts recounted how Pakistanis were present on the ground in the 1990s when war broke out in Nagorno Karabakh, a longstanding bone of contention between the two countries. With the history of Pakistanis interfering the conflict, the foreign minister said that he couldn’t exclude the possibility of fighters from Pakistan joining the Azerbaijan military against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

Adonts also slammed Turkey for imposing a war on Armenia. “This imposed or instigated war has been a well planned jointly with Turkey,” he said. He further added that the dictatorship of Azerbaijan, supported by Ankara, instigated a large-scale war when its military instruments, aeroplanes, artillery and all other equipment were mobilised to attack Nagorno-Karabakh on the morning of September 27.

Pakistani trolls jump to the defence of Azerbaijan, vowing to wage a jihad against Armenia

Soon after Turkey extended its support to Muslim-majority Azerbaijan against Christian-majority Armenia, the eternal-rental state Pakistan, which shares a close affinity with Turkey and purports itself as a beacon for the Islamic world, jumped into the conflict, blaming Armenia for ratcheting up hostility against Azerbaijan.

Many social media trolls in Pakistan extended their solidarity with Azerbaijan and vowed to fight against Christian-majority Armenia. Several of them claimed that the war between the two countries represented a war between Christianity and Islam and it was the duty of the Pakistanis to join their co-religionists in Azerbaijan to repel the Armenian attack.

However, Pakistan has refuted the allegations of its forces fighting alongside Azerbaijan against Armenia. In a press release, Pakistan reacted saying the media reports claiming its fighters’ are present on the ground in Azerbaijan are “speculative and baseless”.

Though it rejected the allegations of providing ground support to the mercenaries backed by Azerbaijan, it nevertheless supported the Muslim-majority country, asking Armenia to stop its military action to avoid further escalation.

Clashes erupt between Muslim majority Azerbaijan and Christian-majority Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh

Deadly clashes erupted on Sunday between two former Soviet Republics—Azerbaijan and Armenia, over a longstanding territorial dispute for the turbulent Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, a strife-torn region that lies within the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan but is governed by ethnic Armenians.

Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia had declared martial law after Azerbaijan launched an aerial and artillery attack on Sunday, killing several of the military servicemen and injuring hundreds of others.

Azerbaijan, on the other hand, had also imposed martial law, claiming its attack was in retaliation to shelling by Armenia that had reportedly killed five members of a single-family.

https://www.opindia.com/2020/10/armenian-foreign-minister-pakistani-fighters-may-join-azerbaijan/

[Yervant1]

Watch the video!!! The Country You Must See.

Public Radio of Armenia

Oct 2 2020

Blogger Nas Daily shares video from Armenia, calls attention to ongoing hostilities

Nuseir Yassin, an Israeli-Arab video blogger who created 1,000 daily 1-minute videos on Facebook under the page, Nas Daily, has called attention to the ongoing hostilities between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces and shared a video from Armenia for his 18 million followers on Facebook.

“Right now, there is a war that the world isn’t talking about. It’s between Armenia and Azerbaijan. And people are losing their lives. I am not a political analyst, but I did get a chance to see Armenia up close,” he wrote on Facebook․

“And I think, in these difficult times, everyone should get to see this country and its wonderful people. Let’s hope we see an end to this conflict soon,” he captioned the video.

The Country You Must See.

Right now, there is a war that the world isn't talking about.It's between Armenia and Azerbaijan. And people are losing their lives. I am not a political analyst, but I did get a chance to see Armenia up close.And I think, in these difficult times, everyone should get to see this country and its wonderful people. Let's hope we see an end to this conflict soon.

Gepostet von Nas Daily am Donnerstag, 1. Oktober 2020

 

https://en.armradio.am/2020/10/02/blogger-nas-daily-shares-video-from-armenia-calls-attention-to-ongoing-hostilities/

https://en.armradio.am/2020/10/02/blogger-nas-daily-shares-video-from-armenia-calls-attention-to-ongoing-hostilities/