Sharmazanov: Turkey`s political establishment plays a direct role in  warming up the Karabakh conflict

ArmInfo.The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has moved to a new stage - Azerbaijan stubbornly refuses to comply with the Vienna and St. Petersburg agreements, at the same time it periodically exacerbates the situation on the front line and conducts diversionary sorties. Edward Sharmazanov, Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, stated this at a press conference in Yerevan on July 12.

According to him, the last July events demonstrate that Baku has  learned the methods of the Third Reich and use its own population as  a human shield.

Sharmazanov also touched upon the meeting the Armenian and Azeri FM  in Brussels and highlighted three important points, in his opinion,  following the meeting. In particular, the co-chairs confirmed the  necessity of resolving the issue solely through peaceful  negotiations, the Armenian side confirmed the position that without  the implementation of the Vienna and St. Petersburg agreements it is  impossible to make progress, Azerbaijan continues its destructive  policy and refuses to implement these agreements. "Based on the  foregoing, I believe that the Armenian side must continue to adhere  to a tough stance. Let me remind you that during his May statement  the Armenian President stressed the need to provide guarantees for  the security of the people of Artsakh and that the issue should be  resolved on the basis of the realization of the people's right to  self-determination. On the other hand, the co-chair countries should  look for ways to persuade or pressurize Azerbaijan to implement the  agreements," the vice-speaker said.

Sharmazanov also touched upon the Istanbul meeting of the President  of Turkey and Azerbaijan and stressed that the political  establishment of Turkey in the person of Erdogan plays a direct role  in warming up the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He recalled that during  last April's April aggression of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh,  Turkey made four statements expressing unconditional support for  Baku's militaristic rhetoric. "I want to emphasize once again that  the Karabakh conflict should be resolved peacefully within the  framework of the OSCE Minsk Group on the basis of three well-known  principles, and the full implementation of the right of the people of  Nagorno-Karabakh to self-determination should be the key. The  principle of territorial integrity has nothing to do with the  conflict at all, since Karabakh has never been a part of independent  Azerbaijan for a single second. We will continue to insist and urge  the international community, to put pressure on Baku, to fulfill the  Vienna and St. Petersburg agreements, "Sharmazanov summed up.