Mercenaries in Nagorno-Karabakh: what is Erdoğan up to?
The Turkish government has denied accusations by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Turkey is actively intervening in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Various media have reported that Turkish mercenaries are fighting in the region. Commentators fear these troops could also prove dangerous for other countries.
Once the mercenaries are there...
Reports about Islamist mercenary troops sent by Ankara from Syria to fight in Nagorno-Karabakh should serve as a warning to Moscow, Radio Kommersant FM points out:
“The mercenaries show that it's not Azerbaijan or Armenia that want to be top dog in the conflict, but Turkey. And it could very well be that our friend Erdoğan won't want to stop there. He also has brothers in Dagestan, Chechnya, and especially in Crimea. ... The conflict is starting to drag on and is entering a phase of terrorist attacks. And the newly arrived mercenaries - especially if they are driven out of Karabakh - will start seeping into Georgia and Russia. They don't care where they fight. After all, that's all they can do.”
Erdoğan reveals his dreams of a Greater Turkey
Erdoğan's interference in Nagorno-Karabakh poses a clear threat to Russia, Artı Gerçek agrees:
“Erdoğan has responded to the statement of the so-called Minks group on Nagorno-Karabakh. He criticised them directly, stressing that a political solution was impossible there. For his part Aliyev [the Azerbaijani president] found it unnecessary to respond at all. ... So that shows whom Azerbaijan belongs to. ... Perhaps Erdoğan also wants to become the greatest leader in Russia? He has set his sights not only on Azerbaijan, but also on Russia's Turkish regions. ... Erdoğan is determined to put into practice his theory of pan-Turkism and drive Russia to ruin. This is not about Armenians and Azerbaijanis. If the Russian leadership wants the country to continue to exist, it should put the false sultan in his place.”
Merkel encouraging a war of aggression
In Die Presse, former Central and South East Europe correspondent Karl-Peter Schwarz criticises the EU's stance:
“All the European Council managed to agree on last week was to call for an end to the violence and the start of negotiations. The declaration did not mention that Armenia, as the victim of a war of aggression, clearly has the right to defend itself. Once again the EU is divided. Emmanuel Macron is on Armenia's side while Angela Merkel is opting for appeasement towards Turkey, which amounts to encouraging a war of aggression.”
We are afraid of a genocide
Former Ukrainian government spokeswoman Diana Davityan fears in nv.ua that the conflict will deal a devastating blow to the Armenian people:
“Today my beautiful Armenia is all alone. Calmly, helplessly, it seeks to protect its people and its history. There are very few of us - just three million in Armenia itself. Fewer than in Kiev. If one day Aliyev and Erdoğan were to decide with Putin's consent to repeat the genocide of a hundred years ago, it would be easy for them to carry it out. Anyone who doubts this should think about how beautiful and calm Aleppo once was, and what is left of it after 2016. … My people are now in urgent need of support. I beg you to heed their call.”