ArmInfo.Turkey's foreign policy style observed today, among other things, consistently violates various international criteria, norms and rules.
A similar opinion was expressed to ArmInfo by the Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies of YSU, Turkologist Ruben Melkonyan. "Neglecting all this, Ankara prefers to talk with the world, primarily with neighboring states from a position of strength, weapons, its fundamentally destructive policy. All the latest shades in Turkish rhetoric and public sentiments are a clear indicator of Ankara's future behavior in the event of an increase in its role in the work of the OSCE Minsk Group on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. In this case, Turkey will speak not within the framework and format adopted by the co-chairs, but from a position of strength, "he stressed.
Since 1992, the OSCE Minsk Group, represented by the co-chairs from Russia, the United States and France, has been involved in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. At present, the settlement process is nominally proceeding on the basis of the "Madrid Principles", nominated by the OSCE Minsk Group co- chairs in 2007 in Madrid and updated in 2009, which, among other things, provide for the deployment of a peacekeeping contingent in the conflict zone. The OSCE MG also includes Belarus, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland and Turkey, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Commenting on the threats from Ankara against Armenia that have become more frequent in the recent period, the Turkologist did not rule out that at a certain stage Turkey may try to implement them to some extent. In his opinion, this may manifest itself in the form of a provocation at the border, refusal to withdraw troops from Nakhijevan, etc. The latter, according to the expert, is a psychological problem - Nakhichevan is very close to Yerevan.
Melkonyan does not rule out the indirect involvement of the Turkish military in hostilities against Armenia, for example, in the form of Azerbaijani servicemen. In this light, he sees the need to activate all security formats with the participation of Armenia. According to him, despite the obviousness of the Armenian- Russian allied relations as a factor restraining Turkey's appetites and ambitions, Armenia should always be ready to resist the destructive steps of Turkey at the local level.
In this light, Armenia, according to the Turkologist, needs the most tough way to suppress all attempts of Ankara to increase its role in the OSCE Minsk Group on the settlement of the Artsakh problem. In his opinion, Yerevan needs to further toughen the adopted line on the unacceptability of Turkey's participation in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. "It is also necessary to carefully monitor not only the current, but also all other military exercises with the participation of Turkey and Azerbaijan. In particular, it is necessary to track whether the Turkish contingent will be withdrawn from Nakhchivan at the end of the exercises. Or, under many plausible pretexts, it will remain in Nakhchivan. This is the most important question. , which should be in the center of attention of the Armenian leadership, taking into account Ankara's readiness to violate any international norms. Armenia should be ready for any Turkish surprises, "the Turkologist summed up.
From July 29 to August 10, Azerbaijan and Turkey are holding regular, planned, joint military exercises. According to the plan of the exercises, the exercises of the ground forces will be held from August 1 to 5 in Baku and Nakhichevan, bordering Armenia. Military aviation exercises will be held from July 29 to August 10 - in Baku, Nakhijevan, Yevlakh, Ganja and Kurdamir. The exercises will involve personnel, armored vehicles, artillery and mortars, military aviation and air defense systems of the two countries.