YEREVAN. – In the form of Turkey, the international community is dealing with a country that markedly backs Armenian-hatred and racism, Armenia’s National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov said in reaction to Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement.   

To note, during his joint news conference Tuesday in Baku with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, Erdogan had stated that official Ankara will continue to support Azerbaijan along the lines of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

“Even though the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries and numerous distinguished international organizations criticize and condemn the Azerbaijani authorities’ inhuman and immoral act [with respect to the release of Ramil Safarov], Turkey’s PM supports Azerbaijan and openly announces this,” Sharmazanov noted, and added:

“This announcement by the PM of Turkey, which aspires for European Union [membership], proves that, in the form of Turkey, the international community is dealing with a country that markedly backs Armenian-hatred and racism. This makes it clear as to why criminal Safarov learned the methods for killing people at the military bases in Northern Cyprus, which is occupied by Turkey.” 

In NA Deputy Speaker’s words, Turkey and Azerbaijan have not forgotten that, “despite Turkey’s military and financial assistance to Azerbaijan during the years of the heroic battle of Artsakh [Karabakh], the Artsakh Armenians triumphed in this war and proved their determination to live a free and an independent life, [and] to singly master the destiny of their own people.”