The international community must be involved quickly to prevent the spread of violence. Prime Minister Pashinyan’s interview to Le Figaro

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gave an interview to the famous French newspaper Le Figaro. We present the interview in full.

Le Figaro – You accuse Turkey of providing military assistance to Azerbaijan. What evidence is at your disposal?  

Nikol Pashinyan – Yes, we have evidence. Russia, France and Iran have already admitted that on 27 September the Turkish army was involved in a large-scale attack on Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh). High-ranking Turkish officials have publicly confirmed their support for Azerbaijan not only in the political-diplomatic, but also in the field of war. They use Turkish UAVs, and F-16s to bomb the civilian areas of Nagorno Karabakh. The international community, particularly the American community, should know that US-made F-16s are now being used to target Armenians. There is evidence that the Turkish military leadership is directly involved in the attacks. Ankara has sent military vehicles and ammunition to Baku, as well as military advisers. We know that Turkey has trained and relocated thousands of mercenaries from its occupied territories in northern Syria. Those mercenaries and terrorists are fighting against the Armenians today. Many of them do not even know why Turkey deployed them there. In Azerbaijan, they realized that they had made false promises. We know that these terrorists are taking drugs, because syringes full of drugs were found in the pockets of their uniforms. We can assume that 30% of the victims on the Azerbaijani side are mercenaries brought from abroad.

Le Figaro – Do you think Turkey is responsible for this escalation? 

Nikol Pashinyan – Definitely. The joint Turkish-Azerbaijani military exercise, which began in August, is not over. The attack on Nagorno Karabakh is in fact the next stage of that operation. After preparing, they decided to attack; they should be responsible for that escalation.

Azerbaijan, which was defeated by Armenia on the border in July, turned to Turkey for help. It is obvious that Ankara is the one who decides on many important issues of the situation. Their goal is to upset the balance of regional forces in their favor.

Le Figaro – What do you mean?

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – Turkey’s goal is to strengthen its role and influence in the South Caucasus and to break the century-old status quo. They dream of creating an empire resembling a sultanate; they have taken a path that can set the region on fire.

Le Figaro – Are you ready for a ceasefire?

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – Turkey and Azerbaijan should stop the hostilities, because they are the offensive side, and at the moment they are killing Armenians. Nagorno Karabakh cannot be disarmed, as it will lead to genocide. The population there is facing an existential threat. At this stage, the opposing side does not show any sign of stopping the attacks. I am not even sure that Azerbaijan controls the terrorists fighting side by side with it. According to our information, in some villages of Azerbaijan, mercenaries enter shops; ban the sale of alcohol, citing Sharia.

Le Figaro – Should the talks go through the Minsk Group?   

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – This is the only existing format. The presidents of Russia and France have made a sobering call. We expect that the international community will be actively involved in stopping the aggression. Turkey cannot be a mediator for its biased and belligerent behavior.

Le Figaro – Is this crisis more severe than in 2016? 

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – This crisis is much more serious. It would be more correct to compare it with 1915. With the first genocide of the XX century, when more than 1.5 million Armenians were massacred. The Turkish state, which denies the past, has taken the path of genocide again. The world must realize what is happening here. The international community must be involved quickly to prevent the spread of violence. Otherwise, the consequences of this conflict will go beyond the borders of the South Caucasus.