YEREVAN. – The presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as the foreign ministers of the two countries, and their military elite are very actively conducting information preparations for the possible resumption of military provocations; and this is still very mildly put. Arman Abovyan, secretary of the opposition Prosperous Armenia faction, said this during Tuesday’s briefings in the National Assembly.

According to him, the announcements that have been heard in recent days, on the one hand, cause concern, and on the other hand, may seem absurd. "These statements very clearly fit into the logic of preparing for possible provocations," Abovyan said, reminding that last month Turkey and Azerbaijan held large-scale joint military exercises in Nakhichevan. The MP noted that a part of the Turkish military divisions have remained in Nakhichevan, and, in addition, a large amount of military equipment—even military aviation—has remained there.

The lawmaker also noted that there are articles in the Arab and European press reporting that Turkey is actively deploying Islamist militants and terrorists in Azerbaijan. "The latest statement of the Azerbaijani leader [President Ilham Aliyev] has nothing to do with the [Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)] negotiation process. Today, the Azerbaijani leadership is provoking a war and is making very active preparations in that direction. And today the situation is radically different. For the first time, Turkey does not rule out and does not deny its military presence in that process; on the contrary, it clearly and directly declares that it will participate in the planned processes," the Armenian politician added.

Also, Arman Abovyan said he considers it important that first of all, Armenia raises this issue through all possible and impossible international channels and on all platforms.