YEREVAN. – The main guarantors that are holding Turkey back from Armenia are the Russian 102nd military base in Gyumri and the CSTO. Eduard Sharmazanov, deputy chairman of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), told this to a press conference on Monday, commenting on the current Turkish-Azerbaijani military exercises and the respective statements by the incumbent Armenian authorities.

He called on the Armenian authorities—not knowing about Turkey's policy, strategy and anti-Armenian stance—"not to be Ankara's lawyers, and not to make confident statements about whether Turkey will attack Armenia.”

Sharmazanov also argued that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters used to hold anti-Russian rallies. "They propagate Russophobia," the RPA official added, noting that the CSTO is a guarantors of Armenia's security.