Turkey fears Armenia is preparing to reunite with Artsakh

Armenians have elected a new president for the unrecognised Republic of Artsakh by holding democratic elections up to international standards and norms, and preparing the ground for future unification with Armenia, which has provoked reactions from Azerbaijan and Turkey, according to PentaPostagma.

Turkish reports even speak of a major Armenian challenge and problem in Artsakh, with Turkey’s intentions predetermined with military action to force the Armenian majority region to return to discriminatory Azeri Turkish sovereignty.

The ethnic Artsakh region, internationally recognised as a part of Azerbaijan, won its de facto independence in 1994 from Azeri Turkish occupation and has lived under self-rule with close cooperation with Armenia ever since. Minor border skirmishes continue between the Armenian defense forces and the Azeri Turkish military.

Azerbaijan, as a Turkic country with cultural and linguistic ties to Turkey, has the strong backing of Ankara, putting strong pressure against Armenia as it is wedged between both countries.

“Despite United Nations Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884, UN General Assembly meeting on 27 February 1993 that said Karabakh [Artsakh] is a territory of Azerbaijan, which is supported by dozens of international organisations such as the EU and Israel and Turkey, Armenia has once again seriously challenged a new attempt,” a Turkish article said.

They also accuse the Armenians of allowing hundreds or thousands of Kurdistan Worker Party members to settle in Artsakh, which is why Turkish security experts say there will be a big problem in their country in the future.

Professor Dr. Aygün Attar in her article in Soyledik states that “the so-called Presidential election, which was held with the decision taken by the so-called Karabakh parliament, which is not legally valid, reveals the fact that Armenia’s rhetoric about the world public desires peace in the region is a matter of fact.”

“Turkey, as a nation-state, may be some distance from Azerbaijan, but it has fraternal relations with the Azeris, as a Turkish nation in two states. As a Turkish people, we warn Armenia that it is undermining peace in the region, and we demand that it comply with international law by annulling its actions,” she continued.

“In addition, our country, on behalf of the Turkish nation as a whole and because of the six million Azeris living in Turkey, appeals to all NGOs and the sons of our great homeland: Let us protest for Armenia through social media such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and let’s send protest messages to the social media accounts of international organisations.”

Despite all her talk of international law and UN resolutions, she of course makes no mention that since 1974, Turkey has illegally occupied northern Cyprus and created the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” that only Turkey itself recognises. The “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” is recognised by UN Security Council Resolutions UN Security Council Resolution 541 and UN Security Council Resolution 550 as an illegal entity. Despite this illegality, Turkey continues to act in a way that defies international law and sends settlers from the Turkish mainland to live in occupied Cyprus.

Artsakh always had an Armenian majority and attempted to peacefully reunite with Armenia, which was first rejected by Soviet authorities, and later by Azerbaijan after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Cyprus however was illegally invaded by Turkey despite having a Greek majority, who were then ethnically cleansed by the Turkish invaders.