ANKARA (RFE/RL)—Turkey could provide military assistance to Azerbaijan in case of a new war over Nagorno-Karabakh, a Turkish official reportedly said on Monday.
“Turkey doesn’t want a military conflict in the region. But if a war breaks out in connection with the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, provision of military assistance by Turkey to Azerbaijan should not be excluded,” Bulent Aras, head of a Turkish Foreign Ministry think-tank, was quoted by the Trend news agency as telling journalists in Baku.
Aras did not specify what concrete forms Turkish military aid to Baku might take.
An agreement signed by the Turkish and Azerbaijani presidents last August commits the two allied nations to using “all available possibilities” to help one another in the event of aggression by third states. It also calls for closer cooperation between their armed forces and defense industries.
The deal was signed in Baku just days before Armenia and Russia agreed to further deepen their militaries ties.
Paper tiger.
Turkey would never do this because this could start WW3. The US also doesn’t want WW3.
‘Could back Azerbaijan’ does not imply invasion.
These announcements are nothing but hot air issued by various ‘Think Tanks’ for presumed
psychological warfare purposes.
And there nothing new about Turkey backing Azerbaijan:
During Artsakh’s War of Survival and Liberation Turkey did in fact massively back Azerbaijan.
– NATO trained Turkish officers were in Baku advising Azeris.
– Hundreds of Grey Wolves irregulars were sent by Turkey to fight alongside Azeri Tatars.
– Massive amounts of war materiel constantly went from Turkey to Azerbaijan.
– Turkish transport planes violated Southern Armenia’s airspace several times on their way
to Baku.(NOTE: they will not be able to do that now).
– Turks took care of the Azeri WIA and their own wounded in occupied Northern Cyprus
Hospitals.
– And in 1993, they massed a whole Army on the border of Armenia threatening to invade,
because that year Azeris were on the ropes and were facing massive defeat.
– Russian General Staff sent the Turks a “Hi there” msg: Turks went back to their barracks, fast.
– Azeris were reduced to sending untrained 16 and 17 year olds to the front: they were mowed
down by the hundreds.
– With no Azeri army left to fight, and Artsakh’s tanks poised to race to Baku unimpeded,
Haydar Aliev had no choice but to ask Artsakh’s leadership for a cease fire in 1994.
That’s right: Aliev was the one practically begging world powers to “…stop the Armenians…”
What makes you so sure, it will start WW3? maybe it will start Genocide II, and the world will still debate/condemn/recognize after 100 years that Genocide I was real but Genocide II was just a war between two countries one backed from the Turkish horde and the Muslim Terrorist. The other was believed to be the first Christian nation that all other nations where so busy and just forgot to support.
IF THE AGRESSOR IS AZERBEJIAN< WHAT ABOUT TURRKISH STAND? ANY HOW AZERIS WILL NEVER START A WAE< BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEIR BOYS( SOLDIERS) DONT HAVE THE GUTSTO FIGHT. ANY HOW WE CAN NOT FEEL SAFE. AT ANY TIME WE MUST BE READY.
MR. ARAS' SAYS THAT TURKEY CAN HELP. IT MAY ALSO MAY NOT BE INTERESTED IN SUCH AN INVOLVMENT. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS AND FACTS TO CONSIDER.
BY HTE WAY. IF WE HAVE "CONQUERED" AZERI TERRITORIES THAN WHAT ABOUT KARS? VAN? SASSOUN?
At least this exposes Turkey’s true colors. These people wanted to mediate the Karabakh conflict. Give me a break.
All hat no cattle,talk is cheap.
Don’t be ridicules, how will this lead to WW3.
Its guna be Armenia and azeri If turkey gets involved So does russia and then Us Thats enough to call it a world war
If Turkey initiates a direct confrontation with Armenia, they stand a good chance to lose Kars, Ardahan, Surmaloo, and Igdir regions to Russia / Amenia, thus returning to pre-1921 borders and also dragging NATO into the mix. The above ignorant individual should realize that such empty claims might please Azeri listeners / viewers, but it has no buyer among Armenians.
shaking in my boots
YELLOW STAIN turkey will not start or back its brother in crime.YELLOW STAIN is afraid of the Big Bear.YELLOW STAIN WILL ONLY attack a much smaller country,without arms,or unarmed women and children,old people.They got the YELLOW STAIN nomer in WW1.After being defeated by two equal forces,they got on their knees.Hence the name of YELLOW STAIN is both fitting and appropos.
What Gary said, and neither country has ratified the treaty which they signed last year. Talk is cheap!
Mr. Bulent are you familiar with history?
Sir,Turkey should think twice. Russian never ever let it happened .
the thing is here we are with Turkey still thinking they are important in the region and wanting everyone else to agree with it.. the two Genocidal states have to stick together, that’s in our favor as always, because one of the things they want is for us to separate the Turkish Genocide of Armenians from the one committed by Azerbaijan by their brothers against Armenians. But see if at each turn in the road they keep saying they are together, and stand for each other, then we have every right to connect one Genocide with the next they are the same they claim to be brothers then the Genocides are connected. these people on our ether side are simply very primitive. It’s not our fault, or doing.. that’s their heritage and destiny… its not easy to find a language or understanding when there is no common meeting of minds so. we simply have to keep waiting till they someday hopefully wake up.
I think if this happens, Russia would bud in and won’t let it happen, just like in the past.
if you think turkey didnt the first time think again he has blood on his hands.however let them try they know if they could theywould have done so already but both kakare pantalone
Armenia’s leaders should be UP IN ARMS in response to this statement, bring international attention to this real threat and call on US, Russia and the EU for assurances on Turkish neutrality if indeed Azerbaijan breaks the treuce.
Are they (Turks), that stupid to confront Russia?
Turkey was providing military assistance to Azerbaijan in the previous war…….. guess what today we do have 20% of Azerbaijan.
The dog is barking.
Either this Turkish official is joking or he is trying to mislead the international community … As if Turkey were not already part of the problem and party to the “karabakh war” still form the beginning – in 90´s! Beside this the banana republic /kanat of “Azerbaijani” was created by the Turkish war lord Nuri Pasha in 1900´s as the term “Azeri” was created by the Stalin in 1940´s …
Global war it will be if Turkey is involved in an eventual war, on the side of Azerbaijan against Armenia. Considering that Armenia will not be alone, such a war will be the beginning of liberation war of Armenian territories, to Van, Erzurum, Erzincan, to Trabzon, as the first step. Of course, in addition, to the east, liberation of territories of Armenian Paydagaran, up to the Caspian see.
I do not believe that the Turk-Azeri Nomads will dare to start a Global War. To win Artsakh the risk is too big for Turk-Azeri Nomads, descendants of Timour Leng (Topal Hassan) and Alpaslan.
Vahan Vanagan
WW3 ??, rein in your horses. No one will start world war 3 because of us. We are too small to cause a world cataclism. Turkey will assist Azerbaijan, Russia will assist Armenia, Iran will assist Armenia ?. Armenia and Azeris will slog it out, Azeris will accomplish nothing , Armenia will thwart Azeris , and the satus quo will continue.
do you know who started ww1? wasnt it serbia? Lol
President Ozal of Turkey during the war in 1992 announced that if armenia continued the war Turkey would teach her a lesson “like 1915” his words. Within hours the chief of staff of the russian army announced that if Turkey moved one foot in armenian territory it would be the start of World war III. The americans pulled Ozal back prompto.
Don’t beleive at all.
The Russions would get a good reason to clean Turkey once for all!
yes you right, armenia is exactly vital to russia…
foreign trade with turkey increasing to 30 biliion per year
gas and petroleum from azerbaidjan, kazakhistan,turkmenistan increasing speedly, and for sure turkmenistan and kazakhistan would support armania in a such a war scenario…
plus
you are so much basing your all defence scenarios over russia that in return giving so much privillegiums to russia that soon you will be a property of russia… and for sure russia will keep armenian interest firs and its own….
any way i am a turk and i am sorry for the historical fact lived in the past and i hope there would be plausible ways of solutions that we can live together as we have to due to neighbourhood….
i have nothing against armenians and all the armenians wellcome to turkey or my house sincerely
1. Azerbaijan will never ask for help because Turkey will “steal” Nakhichevan from them if asked to intervene.
2. The risk of war is high. But Azerbaijan is scared to start war without clear assurances that somebody will fight instead of them for victory. Azerbaijan Soviet Socialistic Republic was formed during late 20th of 20th century. There is no such entity “Azerbaijan” on ancient maps. There is no such nation “Azeri”. Population of Azerbaijan is heterogeneous. Azeris do not have experience of protecting their land and dignity. Their participation in the WW2 was miserable. They lost war to Artsakh, and signed ceasefire agreement.
3. Who is afraid of shadow should not speak of the night.
think-tank or tank-sink
“The deal was signed in Baku just days before Armenia and Russia agreed to further deepen their militaries ties.”
Azerbaijan is facing turmoil a la Egypt. So, all “deals” will vanish.
Ankara is more concern about the ability of regime in Baku to survive that about “karabakh” – The military in Ankara is a kind of “presidential card” for the ruling regime in Baku – Karbakh would be in these case nothing but a “justification toool” !
Most probably the ruling regime in Baku will need the support of Turkey to remain in power, in case of unrest against the ruling regime. In such case Karbakh issue could be abused by Baku and Ankara! Other reason of making such statement by Ankara is: In case ruling regime in Baku would make a decision to committee suicide and start a war against Karabakh, this would be a real treat to “territorial integrity of Azerbaijani”- to north and to south. Baku could rely only on Ankara to prevent a situation like Libya and Arabic world – Ankara likes to have the option by abusing “Karabakh” to send troops to Azerbaijanis republic, if the regime in Baku – for any reason/domestic reasons – would not be able to survive!
Azerbaijan are arming themselves like they are getting ready for WW3. And the rest of the world are quite happily supplying them. Well there is only one answer. We need to put our Armenian heads together. Coalate all our Armenian scientist from around the world and begin a home Defence technology organisation. A state of the Art R&D facility developing advance military technology and military weoponary. We have the brain and the money to do this. We just need the will and the organisation. My dear compatriots. WW3 is inevitable. As long as we live next to barbarians we need to prepare for them.
We also need to develop our science based industries. Develop state of the art hospitals and medical research facilities and attract Armenian Doctors and scientists from all over the world to come and work in Armenia. A toorist industry based on Toorists comming to Armenia for medical and relaxing reasons. But I am not just talking medical. We should have research facilities covering all aspects of science and technology. Investmont in this field would yield untold amounts of profit. A new golden age of development in Armenia would result in an explotion of new technologies drqaging the world out of the 20th century it also would be beneficial for the whole world, who knows if we achieve all this we may be able to stop WW3!
a turkey was a loser in WWI when it joined war against Allies and lost many of its own citizens (not by Armenians) but nations warring WWI;
a turkey was not a loser in WWII since a turkey joined Allies ONLY at the very last moment when assured that Allies were the winners;
a turkey sends some military to participate in some actions (for show);
a turkey gains and steals lands, assets and more via Genocides as Genocides are ‘easier’ to gain goal of ‘turkey for turks only.’ Manooshag
Manooshag
we have not forgotten as Turkish president Özall of Turkish-Kurdish origin was going to bomb Armenia in 90´s ..Well , he – “president Özel – took the bombs with himself to his grave – I hope with Endogen will happen the same !
Turkey is palying wih fire! We Armenians and even Kurds should be ready!
hehehe not scared at all ww3 I dont support it But not scared there goal is to scare us
armenia, do not be so sure of russian help))) this time russia will not help u, as russia now understands what a big mistake it made