Deadly fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, EU calls for calm
Clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, September 28, 2020. Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan / Handout via REUTERS
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The fighting continues in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the tone continues to rise between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The concern is strong because the two countries could fall into a deadly war with for stake this mountainous territory, disputed since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
This Monday, September 28, twenty-seven separatist soldiers were killed in the fighting with Azerbaijan.
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From our correspondent in Moscow
,
Daniel Vallot
On both sides of the front line, considerable resources are deployed: air force, armored vehicles, heavy artillery.
The fights are the most violent and the deadliest since those of 2016, which killed a hundred people in a few months.
For now, the situation on the ground remains confused, Azerbaijan claims to have seized several localities, but the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities claim to have regained the lost positions.
It is impossible to independently verify this information, but one thing is certain: the situation is very worrying.
And despite the calls for restraint which have multiplied since Sunday, September 27, there is no reason to hope for a lull at the moment.
On the contrary, the warlike rhetoric employed in recent days in Azerbaijan, as in Armenia, raises fears of the worst.
A conflict between the two countries would have incalculable consequences.
In the 1990s, the Nagorno-Karabakh war which followed the collapse of the USSR left 30,000 dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Turkish support in Baku
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called for the end of
the
Armenian “
occupation
” in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, said RFI correspondent in Istanbul,
Anne Andlauer
.
The Turkish president recalled that his country was ready to support, "
by all means
", "
the brother and friend country of Azerbaijan
".
“
The time has come for this crisis that started with the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh to end.
As soon as Armenia leaves the Azerbaijani territory it occupies, the region will regain peace and serenity.
"
Recep Tayyip Erdogan then attacked the three mediators of the "Minsk Group" - Russia, the United States and France - accused of having "
done everything not to resolve this conflict for 30 years
".
The Turkish president agreed completely with Baku: “
Azerbaijan asked you to solve this problem… Who owns the occupied territories?
To Azerbaijan!
Believing that the time for reckoning had arrived, Azerbaijan had no choice but to take matters into its own hands
”.
Turkey, through the voice of the spokesperson for the ruling party, on the other hand firmly denied Armenia's accusations, which referred to the sending by Ankara of arms and mercenaries to Nagorno-Karabakh.
►a (re) read:
The
Nagorno-Karabakh, the unrecognized tinderbox Caucasus
■ The European Union calls for an end to interference in Nagorno-Karabakh
The head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell is stepping up contacts with Armenia and Azerbaijan to call for calm on the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The High Representative for European diplomacy calls for an end to hostilities, de-escalation and strict observance of the cease-fire.
The reaction of Reçep Tayyip Erdoğan prompted the European Union to urgently demand an end to external interference, deemed unacceptable.
“
There are contacts at several levels.
The urgency is to stop the confrontation of weapons.
We are very, very committed and very active in maintaining contacts with all the actors, all the partners who can contribute to the end of the confrontations
”, Peter Stano, spokesperson for Josep Borrell
The accusations of Turkish interference come just a few days before the European summit on Thursday and Friday where the European Union must look into the sanctions against Turkey over Cyprus and Libya.
►Also listen:
Nagorno-Karabakh: "Russia has the power to stop everything"
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