The Entire International Community Must Force Turkey to Withdraw from This Conflict: PM in Interview with BBC

The people of Artsakh have the right to self-determination, and the entire international community must force Turkey to withdraw from this conflict, stated Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in an interview with the British BBC news service.

In the interview, Prime Minister Pashinyan called on the international community to condemn the aggression of Turkey and Azerbaijan against Artsakh and Armenia. He mentioned that for the past three days, the armed forces of Azerbaijan have been targeting peaceful residents of Artsakh, and today Turkish forces have joined in these aggressive actions against the peaceful population of Armenia.

"Days ago, the armed forces of Azerbaijan initiated large-scale military operations along the entire line of contact with Nagorno-Karabakh. We characterize this as a pre-planned aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. The armed forces of Azerbaijan have targeted the cities and villages of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the civilian population and infrastructure. Today, the same has happened to the villages located on the territory of the Republic of Armenia, where the armed forces of Azerbaijan have continued offensive actions. It is very important to note that Turkish military instructors and officers are stationed in Azerbaijan and are directly involved in the military operations, resulting in dozens of casualties and hundreds of injuries," said Prime Minister Pashinyan.

He also reported that Turkey's F-16 fighter jets are committing further aggression against Armenia and Artsakh. "Turkish F-16s are currently flying in the area of Nagorno-Karabakh and are fully engaged in military operations. Turkey is not keeping this a secret, and only two countries have stated that they are ready to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through military means: the first is Azerbaijan, and the second is Turkey. Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia are facing an existential threat," emphasized the Prime Minister.

Responding to accusations from Azerbaijan that the Armenian side initiated military actions first, Nikol Pashinyan noted that any accusation must be based on concrete facts. "As the Prime Minister of Armenia, I have outlined a specific formula for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I believe that this problem does not have a military solution. This formula is that every resolution must be acceptable to the peoples of Armenia, Artsakh, and Azerbaijan. I am the first leader of Armenia involved in the negotiation process to make such a statement," said the Prime Minister of Armenia.

He emphasized that the people of Artsakh have the right to self-determination and that the entire international community must force Turkey to withdraw from this conflict, as its involvement is exacerbating the situation.