BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 4
Trend:
The involvement of Armenian women in military training in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh territory of Azerbaijan by initiator of the "Women for Peace" campaign, wife of Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan - Anna Hakobyan, is a provocation, Turkish foreign policy expert, author of publications in Daily Sabah and Superhaber newspapers, Merve Sebnem Oruj told Trend on Sept. 4.
Oruj reminded that before becoming prime minister, Pashinyan stated that he was ready for dialogue with Azerbaijan and Turkey, but the policy he pursued after taking this post turned out to be fully opposite.
"It is known that Pashinyan has recently visited the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region and made a provocative statement,” the expert said. “In turn, Hakobyan continues this provocation."
Oruj added that Hakobyan's message in military uniform deserves special attention.
"Earlier, a letter from four senators on the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh region as an "independent state" was spread, which is completely unacceptable,” the expert said. “Moreover, this testifies to the fact that the Armenian lobby in the US has become more active recently."
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, 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.