In Istanbul, President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, met with President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. As reported by APA, among the issues discussed, the two presidents also touched upon the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Turkologist Ruben Melkonyan, in an interview with Aravot.am, analyzed the meeting and expressed an opinion that it was regular meeting, and a regular subject for discussions on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, “Under the meeting of Aliyev-Erdoğan, the discussions on the Karabakh conflict has become a tradition because on various occasions when the issue is active in the international arena or not active, this issue is included in their meetings by all means. Turkey finds an excuse to making all kinds of chauvinist and racist statements. It becomes a regular opportunity for Erdoğan to voice speeches aimed at regional destabilization. As for today’s meeting and what developments will follow after this meeting on Karabakh conflict, we must always expect destabilization by Azerbaijani side, we must anticipate conspiracy attacks, while the meetings with Erdoğan, certainly, encourage the aggressive aspirations of Azerbaijan.
I do not want to single out this meeting because any meeting can have such an outcome on Azerbaijan’s dictator. Given the recently reached agreements, the involvement of the international players: Russia, the United States and other countries, I do not think that the meeting with Erdoğan at this very moment will cause Aliyev a desire to incite one more military provocation.” Mr. Melkonyan said that Turkey will continue to remain the main center of destabilization in the region; the statements by various countries, in particular, Russia’s response fixed that various regional problems occur with the direct participation of Turkey. After the four-day war, Turkey’s main approaches to the issue have not been changed, simply as the issue is placed on the international agenda in a slightly different context, is in the center of direct attention of the superpowers, the Turkish provocations or Turkish aggressive statements are temporarily moved to the second plan but continue to be in the rhetoric of various Turkish officials”.
Arpine SIMONYAN
