Turkish expert: Pashinyan unable to rule Armenia [EXCLUSIVE]

25 June 2019 15:13 (UTC+04:00)

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is incapable of managing his own country, Engin Ozer, Turkish political scientist, leading expert of "Ankara-Moscow" analytical network, said in an interview with Azernews.

He said Azerbaijan and Armenia are parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and that occupied Karabakh cannot open shared be considered as such.

Ozer recalled that no matter how much the current Armenian government talks about the need to bring the occupied Karabakh to the negotiating table, Armenia itself has not yet recognized the so-called “independence” of Nagorno-Karabakh. He added that all statements of the current Armenian leadership are about nothing.

Turkish political scientist considers direct contacts are important and should be conducted directly between Baku and Yerevan.

He expressed regret about the impossibility of current Armenian authorities in the person of Pashinyan to deal with the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

"Under the government of Pashinyan, I do not expect that the peace talks will give any result," he said.

As for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement process, Ozer mentioned that the keys of the conflict solution are in the Kremlin. He stressed that Russia, as well as Iran, can contribute to a faster resolution of the conflict.

Speaking about the recent repeated Armenian provocations on the frontline, Turkish expert stressed that the killing of Azerbaijani servicemen is certainly a provocation. He expressed the opinion that some groups in Karabakh opposed to Pashinyan are taking these steps.

Ozer pointed out that Armenian PM is trying to restore Armenia's image in the world society, that is why he seeks to establish relations with France and the EU.

"Armenia is completely dependent on Russia in the eyes of the world’s community. Pashinyan tries to get away from this dependence by pursuing a balanced policy," Ozer said.

He went on to say that opponents of Pashinyan create provocations to prevent the coming of peace in Nagorno-Karabakh.

"Therefore, I do not believe that Pashinyan will be able to adhere to the agreements signed in Dushanbe. At the moment, Armenian PM cannot run his own country. A lot of internal and external players are involved in the Karabakh conflict, so I do not expect a positive outcome from these negotiations," Ozer stressed.

Commenting on the possibility of joint exercises of Armenia and Iran on the border with Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan, the expert noted that they will not threaten the security of Azerbaijan.

He expressed doubt that Yerevan can occupy Nakhchivan because the international community fully supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. He also stressed that any attack on Azerbaijan will be regarded by Turkey as an attack on itself.

Ozer also noticed the great influence of the Karabakh clan in Armenia. He noted that pro-European politicians appeared in the country after the velvet revolution, adding that they have problems with the usual pro-Russian forces that usually dominate in Armenia.

"Pashinyan does not have enough strength to resolve the contradictions between the parties who see the development of Armenia in opposite direction, “ the Turkish expert concluded.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94