ArmInfo. MP of the Turkish parliament of Armenian origin Karo Paylan called the rally held on September 28 in support of Azerbaijan in Istanbul a provocation, as cars drove through the streets where Armenian families live. He wrote about this in his article published the day before in the New York Times. Paylan, noted: "In the war in the Karabakh conflict zone, the Turkish leadership supports Azerbaijan and rejects calls for a ceasefire. Azerbaijan is also supplied with Turkish military equipment. A similar strategy is close to Erdogan, since the latter intends to increase his military presence abroad, in particular in Syria, Libya, in the Mediterranean, and strengthen his position as a regional power. However, there is a direct correlation between the desire of the Turkish government to delve into conflicts abroad and the closure of the democratic space within the country. "
He noted that due to authoritarianism, which is gaining ground in Turkey, the MP from the People's Democratic Party himself, as well as his political views, will turn him into a target. Paylan stressed that the Turkish edition of the Eurasian Institute for Strategic Issues published a statement in support of Azerbaijan in the Sabah newspaper, which is associated with Erdogan's family. In the publication he was accused of pro-Armenian orientation and treason.
"There were also calls to deprive me of parliamentary immunity, to hand me over to the court, however, I filed a legal complaint against advertisers and continued to call for peace in the Caucasian region. As an Armenian from Turkey, I understand the meaning of this message. Indeed, in 2007, Hrant Dink, an Armenian journalist and editor of the Agos newspaper, was killed. He was killed in a similar period of nationalism, '' Paylan said, stressing that dozens of his friends have been arrested on trumped-up charges in recent days.
Moreover, seven deputies from the People's Democracy Party, and Paylan himself, are accused of "attempting to overthrow the constitutional building>, and the prosecutor is preparing to ask parliament to revoke their immunity and arrest them. At the same time, the deputy stressed that he was inspired by thousands of calls in support and collection of signatures in their favor.
Paylan said Turkey was recently a promising democracy. "I became an MP in 2015, 100 years after my great-grandfather was killed during the Armenian Genocide. "I wanted Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Alevis, minorities and women to live without any fear as equal citizens. I did my best for Turkish-Armenian reconciliation. However, after 2015, Turkey took the path of authoritarianism. President Erdogan followed the path of authoritarianism and militarism followed. Such a policy cannot solve internal political problems and help the region. Turkey should encourage Armenia and Azerbaijan to return to negotiations on the Karabakh conflict. Russia helped the parties agree on a ceasefire, which strengthened Russia's role in the region and excluded Turkey from the diplomatic game. If President Erdogan wants to be relevant, he must stop escalating tensions in the Caucasus and support the ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia, "he said. In conclusion, the MP stressed that, despite the threats, he will continue to fight for democracy in Turkey.