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International community ‘turning blind eye’ to Turkey’s aggression – expert

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Erdogan the bully of middle-east

Erdogan the bully of middle-east

Turkey, which ostensibly seems to assist in the Syria peace plan, is, as a matter of fact, keeping the country under occupation, with the international community turning a blind eye to its aggressive  actions in the country, Academician Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the National Academy’s Institute of Oriental Studies, said Wednesday.

“Turkey is considered an aggressor. And notably, all the countries have put up with the idea, as we do not see any statement today – by either major superpowers or the United Nations’ Security Council – to condemn the country. What’s bad though is that many civilians are being killed. The Turkish authorities pursue aggression in not only their foreign policies but also internally they intensify the pressures against the Kurds.

In the recent military operations alone, more than 600 arrests were reported, with most involving individuals who expressed complaints through the social networks,” he told reporters.

The expert said he still hesitates to specify any red lines for the country in the light of President Recept Tayyip Erdogan plan to create a 30km security zone.

“The Turkish plan is to create a security zone as deep as 30 kilometers along the Syrian border. If we consider the length, it is about 24,000km. So that’s virtually the territory which Turkey seeks to keep under occupation. Moreover, they have announced a plan for creating a dead zone to rule out any population’s presence. That’s a statement of genocide or ethnic cleansing [threatened] by country leaders. Yet, none of these statements have so far received an adequate reaction by the international community. But Turkey is unlikely to succeed in its plan as the United States have stated that they will not withdraw their troops from Manbij,” Safrastyan added.

Turkey Simultaneously invading Iraq and Syria taking advantages of turmoil

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Agression The Turkish military has launched a land operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, stating that its aim is to “prevent PKK militants from threatening border security.”

The operation is the first time in nine years that Turkish land forces have engaged in Iraq.

Commando units entered the Zap region of Iraq after crossing from the Çukurca district of the southeastern province of Hakkari. The move, which is part of “Operation Zap,” came after the military determined an increase in movement of outlawed militants in the area, Doğan News Agency reported on Oct. 18.

Turkey’s return riles Syria: It’s ‘blatant aggression’

From Oct. 8-12, Turkish intelligence and special forces elements carried out reconnaissance in Syria north of Idlib and south of Afrin while maintaining contacts with Sunni opposition units that control the region. This preparatory activity was actually shaping an operational theater. Afterward, a Turkish detachment of about 100 commandos, 30 vehicles, and construction and military engineering equipment entered Syria.

An Oct. 13 statement from the Turkish military high command said Turkish troops that will serve in the Idlib de-escalation zone had begun erecting military observation posts, as specified during the peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. That night, a second Turkish detachment, which was operating M60T Sabra and Leopard 2 tanks, entered Syria and began deploying at Sheikh Barakat, an 842-meter-high (2,762-foot-high) mountain that dominates Afrin.

The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called Turkey’s deployment north of Idlib “a blatant aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and a clear violation of international law and its principles.”

The Idlib operation launched Oct. 13 marks the third time the Turkish army has entered Syrian territory in less than three years. A February 2015 operation relocated the tomb of Suleiman Shah, which was threatened by the Islamic State (IS). In August 2016, Operation Euphrates Shield began clearing the Jarablus-al Rai-al Bab triangle of IS elements; that campaign lasted seven months.

Azerbaijani aggression tantamount to ISIS-style violence – Nalbandian

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Azerbaijan’s recent attacks along the Nagorno-Karabakh frontline were tantamount to the atrocities committed by the Islamic State terrorists in the Middle East, Armenia’s foreign minister said in Chisinau, Moldova,

In his speech at an informal meeting of the Eastern Partnership member states’ foreign ministers, Edward Nalbandian also condemned the Azerbaijan authorities for using their civilian population as a human shield for provoking violence in the conflict zone.

He added that the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army had to take a retaliatory action amid the escalating tension on July 4 to push back the adversary and ensure its self-defense.

“As long as Azerbaijan fails to abide by its international commitments under 1994-1995 trilateral ceasefire agreements, refuses to implement the Vienna and St. Petersburg Summit commitments, especially on the creation of the mechanism for investigation of the ceasefire violations, that can become also a mechanism for prevention, the Azerbaijani leadership bears full responsibility for all consequences,” Nalbandian said, according to the Foreign Ministry’s press service.

 

Syrian envoy criticizes Turkish ‘aggression’ at peace talks

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The head of the Syrian government delegation at the Geneva peace talks has criticized Turkey’s “aggression” and said his nation has the right to defend itself from foreign forces on its soil.

Bashar Ja’afari, who is also his country’s ambassador at the United Nations, said Damascus considers the presence of Turkish troops on Syrian soil “a military aggression,” The Associated Press reported.

He said on March 2 that the Syrian forces “reserve our right to use our all the means available … to expel the Turkish forces from our territory.”

Ja’afari was referring to Turkey’s ongoing Euphrates Shield operation, which recently saw the capture of northern Syrian town of al-Bab from the kurdish YPJ just last week.

Ja’afari had also lambasted an opposition delegation at the Geneva negotiations, saying it’s “holding the talks hostage” by refusing to have the issue of counter-terrorism on the agenda.

At a March 3 press conference, opposition delegation chairman Naser al-Hariri said his delegation’s talks with U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura had focused largely on proposals for a period of political transition.

“Our ultimate aim is a safe and stable Syria,” al-Hariri said. “We will continue negotiations in hopes of creating a modern Syria that can serve as a model for other countries.”

Describing the talks as “constructive”, he went on to note that members of his delegation would meet with the U.N. envoy again midday on March 4 to discuss the same topic.

On the ground, the Syrian army said on March 2 that it had recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from ISIL for the second time in a year, with help from allied forces and Russian warplanes.

ISIL seized Palmyra in a surprise advance in December last year, after having been driven out eight months before.

“With backing from the Syrian and Russian air forces, units of our armed forces recaptured the city of Palmyra, in cooperation with the allies,” the military said in a statement.

Meanwhile, al-Qaeda confirmed that a U.S. airstrike in Syria earlier this week killed its deputy leader of, known as Abu al-Khayr al-Masri. The death brings a significant blow to the terror network and points to the central role Syria has taken in its operations.

Al-Masri, a veteran Egyptian militant, was the deputy of al-Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahri, and the organization’s senior figure in Syria. He coordinated al-Qaeda’s work with other militant groups and played a direct role in developing external plots, according to a U.S. counterterrorism official, who was not authorized to discuss the issue and spoke on condition of anonymity.

German scholar: April war was Azerbaijan act of aggression against Karabakh

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german-expertThe Youth Parliament, which is under the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic National Assembly (NKR/Artsakh NA), on Wednesday hosted international law expert, Professor Otto Luchterhandt from the University of Hamburg, in Germany.

Professor Luchterhandt delivered a presentation, entitled “Azerbaijan’s Blitzkrieg against Artsakh, and International Law,” the NKR NA informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The German scholar noted that despite having no international legal recognition, the Artsakh republic fully meets all the criteria for defining a country, and it has proved its vitality all through the years of its independence.

Otto Luchterhandt stressed that the fundamental principles of international law apply to all subjects of international relations, regardless of their status of recognition. He added that, with the war it unleashed against Nagorno-Karabakh in April, Azerbaijan has flagrantly violated several fundamental principles of international law, especially the principle of non-threat and non-use of force.

In Professor Luchterhandt’s words, the four-day war in April was an act of aggression by Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh, and the entire accountability for this aggression falls squarely on the political leadership in Baku.

Azerbaijan’s aggression: 125 wounded Armenians receiving treatment

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f5710f57d5589a_5710f57d558d2.thumbOverall, 125 Armenians were wounded as a result of Azerbaijan’s aggression, the state of health of with five of them being grave, Harutyun Galstyan, Deputy Head of the Medical Department, Ministry of Defense of Armenia, told reporters on Friday.

All the wounded are recovering.

“They are under medical control,” Mr Galstyan said.

France: A protest action demanding to stop the Turkish- Azerbaijani aggression is held in Marseille, headed by Vice Mayor Valerie Boyer

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sks.thumbFrench MP, Vice-Mayor of Marseilles Valerie Boyer again expressed her support to Karabakh, urging to stop the Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia and Karabakh.

Beginning with April 2, when the military actions began, French MP expresses her support to the Armenian people and is trying to attract the attention of the international community to the aggression of Azerbaijan.
A few days ago Valerie Boyer posted on her pages on Twitter and Facebook: “We support our Armenian friends from Nagorno-Karabakh, attacked by Azerbaijan. Christians are attacked again. We express our support for the people of Nagorno Karabakh.”

Later, she made an appeal to the international community on the recognition of independence of Nagorno Karabakh.

Today in the evening, headed by Valerie Boyer a protest action near the building of the City Hall of Marseille will take place. This was reported by the MP on her Facebook page.

 

Karabakh Update: Azerbaijani military aggression against Karabakh

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Karabakh 100Numerous incidents of breach of agreement on ceasing fire were recorded at night, at the zone of contact between the Karabakh-Azerbaijani opposing forces. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic  Defense Army reported that aside from using rifle weaponry and mortars, the adversary also launched two reconnaissance-sabotage attempts.

Vanguard units of the NKR Defense Army, however, detected, in timely fashion, this attempt at advance by the Azerbaijani special units, and they pushed them back to their original positions.

The photographs below are of the corpses of the Azerbaijani military gang that had committed crimes against Armenian civilians.

Karabakh army serviceman Armen Gasparyan (born in 1974) was killed on Wednesday in ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side.

The contract serviceman was killed from a mine thrower in north-eastern direction, Karabakh Defense Army army said in a statement.

As a result of the close battle, the adversary was pushed back leaving behind the corpse of Azerbaijani Armed Forces captain, Naftalan town resident Vaqif Bayramov, who was born in 1979.

Before that a Karabakh army serviceman Armen Gasparyan (born in 1974) was killed on Wednesday in ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side. The serviceman was killed from a mine thrower in north-eastern direction, Karabakh Defense Army army said in a statement.

On Wednesday between 10:35am and around 11pm, the Azerbaijani army divisions intensively fired shots toward the Armenian armed forces’ divisions and the settlements located nearby Vardenis town in Gegharkunik Province of Armenia.

In particular, aside from a variety of rifle weaponry, the adversary fired several hundred bullets also from large-caliber machine guns, and from mortars.

The Armenian armed forces, however, did everything not to breach the agreement on ceasing fire and advance of troops.

News-NEWS.am reporter visited Talish village, in Martakert Region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which was hit the hardest by the Azerbaijani bombardment. There are destroyed houses and dead animals everywhere in Talish. The villagers have left their homes for the time being, but they plan to return. Close to 30 percent of the houses in Talish village have sustained damages while the administrative buildings—even more.

NEWS.am: Baku’s aggression: Chronology of events on April 5

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default59YEREVAN. – As of April 5 the aggressive actions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces have intensified. The clashes continue.

It is reported growth of  tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, in particular, in Tavush region.

Armenian News – NEWS.am presents chronology of events.

• Karabakh MOD: In the early morning hours on Tuesday, the adversary used Smerch “whirlwind” heavy multiple rocket launcher system at the Line of Contact. No casualties were reported.

• MOD: The Azerbaijani Armed Forces fired in the direction of Berdavan and Koti villages in Tavush Province of Armenia . Armenian military serviceman Zori Ashrafyan (born in 1983) sustained shrapnel wound.

• The President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, urged the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to exert utmost efforts to pacifically settle the currently tense situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

• US Congress member Jim Costa: I question Aliyev’s sincerity in trying to reach a resolution. It is my hope the United States continues to work with the Minsk Group until the Azerbaijan government reverses its pattern of escalating violence against the peaceful people of Nagorno Karabakh.

• The Defence Ministry of Armenia publicized the names of six Armenian military servicemen .

• Karabakh army: Azerbaijan bombarded NKR Martakert town  on April 4.

• Karabakh Defense Army’s press office has posted a video of a regular Azerbaijani unmanned aerial vehicle destroyed on April 4.

• NKR President’s press secretary David Babayan: The reaction of the international community is necessary to curb Azerbaijani terrorist actions.

• Chinese Foreign Ministry: Beijing hopes fot solving present situation through peaceful negotiations.

•  Mayor of Martakert Misha Gyurdzhyan:  As a result of yesterday’s attack in Martakert there are new destructions. Women, children, old men are placed in safe places. People in their native land are ready to defend it.

• Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif: Tehran can assist in solving the contradictions of the parties if they wish.

•  Spokesperson for the Armenian Defense Ministry Artsrun Hovhannisyan: In the Mataghis sector, the Azerbaijanis are removing, from the surroundings and intermediates of their own military positions, the corpses of the soldiers destroyed by their barring troops,” Hovhannisyan wrote. “They shot twice from the rear at their own troops which, under the pressure of Armenian divisions, were leaving the positions.”

• NKR President’s press secretary David Babayan: There are grounds to state that mercenaries from ISIL group or other terrorist organizations participated in military operations against NKR. This is evidenced by the set of circumstances: they communicated in the Turkish and Arab languages, were dressed in a different form and acted as fighters. Also differed on age – all were above 30.

• Members of the Armenian community in Sweden carried out a demonstration against Azerbaijan in front of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden.

•  Press secretary of the Minister of Defense of Armenia: Azerbaijan is using the Israeli-made Harop unmanned combat air vehicles,in its current aggression.