BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct.27
Trend:
Armenia should be excluded from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since its actions primarily pose a threat to this organization, the Turkish government told Trend on October 27.
According to the government, Armenia's actions directly contradict the CSTO Charter (Chapter Two, Article 3), which states that the goals of this organization are to strengthen peace, international and regional security, and stability.
"All steps of Armenia are aimed at destabilizing the region, which the world community is well aware of," the government said. “Moreover, Yerevan grossly violates Article 4 of Chapter 2 of CSTO's Charter, reading that “in its activities, the organization cooperates with the non-states, maintains relations with international intergovernmental organizations operating in the security sphere, promotes the formation of a fair, democratic world order based on universally recognized principles of international law " Thus, international law is on the side of Azerbaijan.”
The government also noted that Article 8 of the charter’s Chapter 3 clearly states that the member states are taking measures to create and operate within the organization a system for responding to crisis situations that threaten the security, stability, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of the member states.
"Since the military operations are conducted exclusively on the territory of Azerbaijan, Armenia has no right to appeal to CSTO for the interference of this structure in the conflict," the government pointed out, also adding that Armenia is like a ‘Trojan horse’ within CSTO and pursues the interests of the West in such an important structure.
Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27.
Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops liberated a number of territories previously occupied by Armenia, as well as take important, strategic heights under control.
The fighting continued into October 2020, in the early days of which Armenia has launched missile attacks on Azerbaijani cities of Ganja, Mingachevir, Khizi as well as Absheron district.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, the Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.