Pompeo: Turkey reinforcing Azerbaijan in Karabakh conflict

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has confirmed the United States is aware of Turkey's involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying that Ankara is "reinforcing" Azerbaijan.

In remarks to the media on Wednesday, October 14 morning, Pompeo said he has discussed the matter with President Donald Trump.

"We are watching what's taking place there. We have joined our European partners and, frankly, many countries around the world to ask that there be a ceasefire as a beginning of a solution to the conflict," Secretary Pompeo said.

"We have watched the reporting of civilians deaths. We have watched Turkey to begin to reinforce Azerbaijan. We have asked every international player to stay out of the region, not to continue to reinforce trouble. We are working to deliver that․"

The Secretary of State said the U.S. is using its diplomatic toolkit to try to achieve an outcome that is a solution based on international law.

"It's pretty straightforward, we are focused on it, we are paying a great deal of attention to it, and we've frankly done some work that I think increases the likelihood that the objectives that I just identified actually take place," he added.

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey and mercenaries deployed by Ankara, launched a large-scale offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. Foreign and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages. Although a humanitarian ceasefire was supposed to begin on October 10, Azerbaijan has renewed hostilities along the line of contact.