Armenia: Turkey repeats scenario of Armenian extermination again

"The situation is much more dangerous (than previous clashes in 2016), and it would be more appropriate to compare it with what happened in 1915 when more than 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the first genocide in the twentieth century," Nikol Pashinyan told the French newspaper, "Le Figaro".

"The Turkish state, which continues to deny the past, is risking once again on the path of genocide," Pashinyan added.

It was reported that dozens of people have been killed and hundreds have been injured since Sunday in fighting, renewing concerns about stability in the South Caucasus, through which pipelines that transport oil and gas to global markets pass through.

Earlier, the presidents of France, Russia and the United States called for an immediate ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenian forces around the Artsakh / Karabakh region, but Turkey, an ally of Azerbaijan, said that the three major powers should not have a role in the peace efforts.

Pashinyan said that Turkey had sent thousands of Syrian mercenaries to the region and that Turkish army officers were directly involved in leading the attack in Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan accused Turkey of supporting the Azerbaijani army with fighter jets, drones and other military equipment and of sending military advisers and "mercenaries and terrorists" to the Artsakh / Karabakh region.

"We have evidence," Pashinyan asserted. "They are using drones and (fighter jets) F-16 Turkish to bomb civilian areas in Upper Karabakh."

"The international community, especially the American people, must know that American-made F-16s are currently being used to kill Armenians in this conflict," he added, saying "There is evidence that Turkish military commanders were directly involved in leading the attack."

"Ankara provided Baku with military vehicles and weapons and sent military advisers," Pashinyan said. "We know that Turkey has trained and transported thousands of mercenaries and terrorists from the Turkish-occupied areas in northern Syria. These mercenaries and terrorists are fighting today against the Armenians."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had documented the transfer of “Syrian mercenaries of Turkey” to Azerbaijan by Turkish security companies to fight alongside the Azeri forces, where more than “530 mercenaries” were transferred, bringing the number of arrivals up to the moment to 850, while preparations are underway to transfer more batches in the coming days.

J.O