Armenia said Turkey is involved in the crisis, along with mercenary Syrian fighters

Armenia said Turkey is involved in the crisis, along with mercenary Syrian fighters

Armenia said Turkey is involved in the crisis, along with mercenary Syrian fighters

What would it take to end the ongoing Armeniia-Azerbaijan conflict? Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev was clear in his answer. Armenia must unconditionally, completely and immediately leave the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory, which lies within Azerbaijan and has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian government since 1994. "If Armenia's government fulfills it, the fighting will stop, blood will not be shed, there will be peace," Aliyev was quoted by the Russian state Tass news agency as saying.

Aliyev's statement came a day after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Azerbaijan's aggression towards Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia needed to end before any compromise could be reached. On Wednesday, Pashinyan said that Armenia may recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as independent, a move that could further interfere with a potential settlement of the dispute.

The Caucasus region has been a point of high conflict between the two countries since ethnic Armenians took control of Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1994 war following Soviet Union collapse. A tender ceasefire was brokered between the two sides, further inflamed by the support of two major powers, Russia and Turkey, to the opposing sides. Russia militarily supports Armenia in a pact, while Turkey has long positioned itself as an all-weather friend to Azerbaijan. Mostly mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh is a region around 4,400 square kilometres, lying 50 kilometres from the Armenian border. Local soldiers backed by Armenia also occupy some Azerbaijani territory outside the region. 

On Wednesday, the fighting continued, with Armenia claiming that Turkish drones and fighter jets were being used in the region. Turkey and Azerbaijan denied it. Armenia on Wednesday continued to allege Turkey's involvement in the conflict, saying that Turkish drones and F-16 fighter jets were being deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia's foreign ministry demanded immediate withdrawal of the Turkish armed forces, including the air force, from the conflict zone in a statement. "The provocative actions of the Turkish armed forces seriously undermine the regional security and hinder the efforts of the international community to cease the hostilities," the statement read.

Turkey's defense ministry denied claims that Turkey's planes and drones were deployed to help Azerbaijan, dismissing them as propaganda by Armenia. The ministry said Armenia sought to increase international support by creating the perception that it was fighting Turkey. However, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that If Azerbaijan makes a request, we would do the necessary. Earlier this week, Armenian officials also claimed that Turkey sent fighters from Syria to Azerbaijan.

-Inputs from agencies

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