Turkey threatens Armenia with regional war

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey has threatened Armenia with a regional war, amid Azerbaijan's ceasefire violations and the fresh offensive it launched against Armenia on July 28.

Chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Mustafa Sentop, who is currently in Azerbaijan, shifted the blame for the border escalation on Armenia and said the situation "may lead to a regional war".

In the wee hours of July 28, the units of the Azerbaijani armed forces, which had infiltrated the sovereign territory of Armenia since May 12, attacked the Armenian positions located in the north-eastern section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, triggering local battles. Three Armenian troops were killed, two others were wounded in the process, the Defense Ministry said, adding that the Azerbaijani forces have been thwarted back to their positions.

Sentop also told a press conference in Ganja that the "Zangezur corridor" was important for both Azerbaijan and Turkey, Sputnik Azerbaijan reports.

The Azerbaijani side has on multiple occasions spoken about a so-called "corridor" through the southern Armenian province of Syunik that would connect Nakhijevan to the rest of Azerbaijan. The Armenian side, however, has repeatedly denied being involved in negotiations for the provision of a corridor to Azerbaijan, stressing that they have only agreed to unblock transport communications in the region.

"A corresponding agreement has been reached, and each side must keep its word. The corridor must open," Sentop said.