Azerbaijani analysts justify need for Turkish peacemakers in conflict zone

Turkey should participate in the peacemaking operation in the Karabakh conflict zone along with Russian ones as a guarantor of observing the ceasefire agreement, the analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Ministries of Defence (MoDs) of Russia and Turkey have agreed to establish a joint centre in Azerbaijan to monitor the observance of the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. However, observers from Turkey will not be present in the conflict zone along with Russian peacemakers, Sergey Lavrov, the head of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) stated on November 12.

According to Azad Isazade, a military expert and a former employee of the information and analytical department of the Azerbaijani MoD, the participation of Turkish militaries will not be limited to the presence in the joint monitoring centre. He believes that they will participate directly in the peacemaking operation. "The fact that Turkish militaries' participation in the above operation is not spelled out in the joint statement of leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia does not cancel the right of Baku to independently invite them and place them in the conflict zone on its part," Mr Isazade has noted.

For Azerbaijan, Turkey's participation in the operation is a balancing factor of the sole Russia's peacemaking, he said. "It is enough to recall Russian peacemakers' actions in August 2008 in South Ossetia. Even worse happened in 1994 in Abkhazia," Azad Isazade has concluded, noting that in the presence of Turkey, Azerbaijan can confidently and firmly ask Russia to follow the terms of the agreement should the Armenian party sabotage it and evade the troops withdrawal.

Tofig Tyurkel, an observer of the "Turan" News Agency, also believes that Turkey's participation in the peacemaking operation is predetermined by the will of Azerbaijan. "The Turkish militaries are involved in the operation as guarantors of compliance with the agreement. Turkey is the country that can talk with Russia on equal terms. The presence of Turkey will restrain Moscow from evading compliance with the agreement," Mr Tyurkel told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 13, 2020 at 04:09 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.