“I believe the United States should make clear to Azerbaijan and Turkey that if they persist in this violence instead of embracing a peaceful settlement of the conflict, we are prepared to recognize the Republic of Artsakh as an independent nation,” said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) pledging to work with the international community to “achieve the same.”
Schiff made the statement during a conversation he had on Thursday with Armenia’s Ambassador to the United States Varuzhan Nersesyan about the continuing conflict in Artsakh.
“We discussed Azerbaijan’s ongoing military campaign, aided and abetted by Turkey and the foreign fighters it is bringing in from Syria, and which has killed hundreds and displaced up to half of the civilian population of Artsakh. We also discussed Azerbaijan’s deliberate bombing of a historic Armenian Church, the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, in the city of Shushi,” Schiff said.
“For decades, through the OSCE Minsk Group, the United States has supported a peaceful, democratic, and negotiated resolution to the dispute surrounding Nagorno Karabakh. We have persisted in this policy even as Azerbaijan launched countless assaults and as their leadership frequently threatened war to redraw the line of contact by force,” added Schiff.”
“Presidents Aliyev and Erdogan must understand that they cannot resolve a decades long border dispute though the indiscriminate use of force against civilians, and the United States will not stand idly by as they attempt to do so. The only resolution of this dispute can be through negotiations, not raining artillery and bombs on Armenian civilians,” said Schiff.
Schiff urged decisive action by the Trump Administration in an interview on Wednesday with Asbarez Editor Ara Khachatourian over Zoom, saying the White House should condemn Ankara and Baku for threatening regional stability and security.
Since Azerbaijan began indiscriminately bombing Artsakh on September 27, Schiff has joined House and Senate leaders in calling on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to cut U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan and imposing sanctions against Turkey for its unequivocal support for Baku’s military aggression and destructive interference in the Karabakh conflict.
He has also co-authored, along with Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) legislation to condemn Azerbaijan and Turkey for their military aggression against Artsakh and Armenia.
we must destroy the otto azeri cultures and take our lands back- they are the killers of all
This is terrorist Turkey’s proxy war, under the leadership of Turkish mullah and terrorist-in-chief Erdogan, on the Armenian nation through artificial Azerbaijan and its criminal leadership. This war was planned well in advance and the joint Turkish and Azerbaijani military exercises over the summer in the occupied Armenian territory of Nakhijevan was the last phase of this plan in preparation for the resumption of the war. The war is being conducted by the Turkish military personnel using Azerbaijani armed forces as well as advanced Turkish military hardware and armaments, such as NATO-supplied Turkish F-16 attack planes, left behind by Turkey at the end of their joint military exercises. Additionally, Azerbaijan is using advanced Israeli and Turkish drones. The bulk of their attacks are on infrastructure to cause maximum damage and on the Armenian civilians in order to create chaos among the population in attempts to force them to leave their homes as part of their ethnic cleansing. As usual, they have been quite ineffective in the battlefield against the Armenian forces using conventional weapons with massive casualties so instead they have unleashed and turned their long-range missiles and drones on the defenseless Armenian population, cultural centers, schools and houses of worship.
What terrorist Turkey is doing in the Armenia’s backyard is war crime. The Turkish and Azerbaijani terrorist leaderships must be held responsible for these criminal acts. I hope to see these criminals handcuffed standing on trial at the Hague soon. The last thing I heard terrorist Erdogan saying was that he hopes, God-willing or inshallah as he put it, the war and destruction goes on until Azerbaijani demands are met. Instead of ceasing indiscriminate killings and property destruction he is encouraging Azerbaijan to inflict mass casualties on the Armenians and their properties. This terrorist Turkish devil is trying to outdo his genocidal predecessors. Somebody has got to put this insignificant cockroach in his place.
Every nation that believes in justice and freedom should immediately condemn the attack Azerbaijan along with Turkey have started with the intention to annihilate and destroy the ancestral home land of Armenians who have lived in that region way back in history before Turks and Azeris arrived and settled through attacks to this region. If Stalin decided to donate Karabakh to Azerbaijan and cut this region from their legitimate homeland Armenia the free world should unite and put a stop to the killings of civilians and destroying a civilization of hundreds of years old.
Prepared to recognize “if Azerbaijan persists.” Very weak. How about recognize now? How about Israeli weapons? How about American made F-16s? He’s up for re-election, and his empty words aren’t even offering enticing false promises. As usual, we are left to fend for ourselves.
We need to push for any elected officials to take action and recognize Artsakh before the elections. This is our last chance!