Baku, February 22, AZERTAC

All of Armenia’s actions from the day of signing the act of capitulation have been aimed at portraying Azerbaijan as being allegedly incapable of negotiating, as being aggressive, and that it is allegedly necessary to exert political pressure on Baku. Yerevan proceeds from the philosophy of the unacceptability of the status quo that set in after the second Karabakh war, the former military attaché of Türkiye in Azerbaijan, General Yucel Karauz, has told AZERTAC commenting on the Defense Ministry’s report on the shelling of the positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on the night of February 21-22.

According to Yucel Karauz, at the same time, Yerevan is in dire need of someone's patronage, whether it is Russia, Europe or the United States, and is trying to use them in its own interests, although Armenia’s “political dances” with such large countries are simply impossible. “This country is already on the verge of collapse from an economic and military point of view. During the second Karabakh war, 60-65 percent of its armed forces were paralyzed, destroyed and rendered unusable. If Armenia continues to adhere to a destructive position and flirt with the West, this country, already drowning in its own internal problems, will sign its own verdict. In the event of renewed aggravation, it will not recover,” he said.

The Turkish general also believes that there is always the possibility of a new serious round of tension.

“Today's report about the shelling of Azerbaijani positions on the border despite the presence of the EU mission there is further evidence of that. Naturally, Azerbaijan does not intend to silently contemplate what is happening, especially since the ceasefire agreement is a temporary document. As long as a peace treaty hasn’t replaced it, Yerevan should not try Baku's patience, which, like any patience, is not unlimited,” Karauz emphasized.

Speaking about the presence of French gendarmes and German policemen as part of the “civilian” EU mission to Armenia, the former Turkish military attaché in Azerbaijan said that this was an attempt to present injustice as a normal state of affairs.

“The European Union is active against the background of the fact that the OSCE Minsk Group, established back in 1994, soon proved to be incapable. During the second Karabakh war, the European Union was preoccupied with its own problems, the pandemic and other issues, and could not have the desired impact on the conflict. The current dispatch of a European mission to the region under the pretext of the lack of peace between Baku and Yerevan and the continuation of the conflict situation, as well as the fact that Europe protects and strokes the “capricious child” in the face of Armenia (let’s recall the statement by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Munich security conference that he will “continue to stand with Armenia and act”), are, in my opinion, an attempt to present injustice and lawlessness as a normal state of affairs. The inclusion of French gendarmes and German policemen in the mission, contrary to the sober approach of Great Britain, is nothing more than a disservice,” the diplomat said.

In the Turkish general’s opinion, all issues between Azerbaijan and Armenia should be resolved bilaterally, through negotiations, otherwise the situation will become more complicated.

“Peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia can be secured only through direct negotiations and by resolving the existing differences because the involvement of Russia, the European Union, the United States, Iran, Türkiye or anyone else in this process will lead to additional difficulties and chaos. After all, each country has its own interests,” the former military attaché of Türkiye in Azerbaijan concluded.