ArmInfo. My message to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs is clear - let's get rid of Turkey's involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, reach a ceasefire and return the parties to the negotiating table. This was stated by Armenian President Armen Sarkissian during an intercity conference organized by the Greek Union of Journalists JUDAN entitled "Crisis in the Caucasus - Causes of War", adding that there is no better format than the OSCE MG.
The Armenian president touched upon the destabilizing and expansionist policy of Turkey and stressed that on September 27 Azerbaijan decided to abandon the peace process and unleash a war, and Turkey is providing it with full political, diplomatic and military assistance.
Speaking about the reasons for Turkey's intervention, the Armenian President stated that in the past few years Ankara has been trying to become an energy hub, a country that will manage the flows of energy resources from the Caspian Sea, Central Asia, Azerbaijan to Western Europe.
Sarkissian added that this is not only about the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan gas pipeline. "Having become a party to the conflict, along with Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, Turkey is physically there under the pretext of helping its ethnic brothers or protecting international logistics pipelines. In fact, it is a ploy to be there, and not only to be, but also to rule. Thus, Turkey will have a big impact on Azerbaijan's politics, and ultimately it will also have a big impact on European countries and Central Asia. Turkey wants to play a leading role in energy flows, to be the main dominant country that controls energy flows from the east, from the south, possibly from the north to Europe, "the Armenian leader expressed his conviction.
At the same time, the Armenian President added that Turkey is talking about the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan at a time when it itself occupied the territories of Syria, Iraq and Cyprus, which is illogical, since the statements and actions do not coincide. He also recalled Turkey's use of the Syrian refugee factor as an effective tool to put pressure on Europe and receive money.
Sarkissian also pointed to Turkey's use of Islamic extremists as a tool to promote its foreign and domestic policy. In this context, he recalled the recruitment and transfer of jihadists from Syria and Libya to the Karabakh conflict zone by Turkey. At the same time, the Armenian leader is convinced that the instability in the region caused by the actions of Turkey may affect Russia, Iran, and possibly Central Asia. In this vein, he drew attention to the threat of genocide against Armenians. Clarifying what Armenia expects from Russia, the United States and the European Union, Sarkissian called on all partners to fully understand the essence of this conflict and clearly declare the need to end the war. "There must be a clear and strong statement that a ceasefire is an absolute necessity, that Turkey must get out of this conflict. I expect NATO to clarify its position. If this organization has set completely different goals since its inception, how can it put up with such a behavior of its member country in the Caucasus, "Sarkissian asked.
At the same time, the Armenian leader considered it logical Greece's proposal to introduce an embargo on arms sales to Turkey by EU and NATO member states. "If the weapons sold to Turkey were used against the aggressor, international Islamist terrorists, I would understand this, but when they come from NATO member states and target the civilians of Artsakh, this is unacceptable. If this idea or step is approved by other countries, Armenia will welcome such an initiative, "the President said, in this context expressing gratitude to the Greek side for their support.
In conclusion, he once again stressed that Turkey's intervention in the Karabakh conflict completely changes the situation, since for every Armenian today, Ankara's participation in the war against Armenians resembles genocide. "This is a question that the Armenian people cannot accept," Sarkissian summed up, expressing gratitude to the Diaspora for their active role