The Greek minority living in Armenia, mostly descendants of genocide survivors from Pontus, are already fighting alongside the Armenian Army, said the president of the Greek community of Armenia, Maria Lazareva.
Speaking to Greek Riviera News, she emphasized that in Artsakh, or more commonly known as Nagorno-Karabakh, there is a small Greek community of about 40 people with whom she is in daily contact with.
“Several volunteers and soldiers of Greek origin are now in Artsakh, fighting for their homeland, where they were born and raised,” she said, adding that “the people are excited, optimistic. We trust our army and our heroic spirit.”
“This is not a war for a small piece of land, it is a war for our beloved homeland, freedom,” said Lazareva.
How critical is the situation?
“When we have a Turkish neighbor, we must be ready for war at any moment ․ Of course, hostilities are not new in recent years. We had a four-day war in April 2016, from which Azerbaijan did not achieve much. So we knew that revenge would not be long in coming. And of course the hostilities, because of the defeat of the Azeris in July this year on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, had to continue. What is happening now in our lands is not called mere hostilities, but war, because of its extent and methods of battle. The point is that the current war is not only taking place between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and is not only taking place in Nagorno-Karabakh, but also in Armenia.”
Is there any evidence of Turkish involvement in what is happening?
“A Turkish F-16 aircraft hit one of our Su-25 [fighter jet]. Even if the Azerbaijani army does not use Turkish weapons, Erdogan’s statements that Armenians must leave Azerbaijani territory are proof that Azerbaijan has an ally, Turkey. The Armenian side analyzed the events and noticed that the Azeri Air Force was operating under the command of the Turks.”
In addition to casualties, you also have injuries. Can hospitals cope?
“Hospitals in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia have several injured, but they are doing well. Many doctors and ordinary volunteers went to Artsakh to help the local doctors․ In severe cases, the injured are being transported to Yerevan, Armenia.”
What support does Armenia expect from the countries with which it has close relations?
“We have understood from our experience that Azerbaijan and Turkey do not know the language of negotiations, they are fighting unjustly and cunningly. “The international community has made it clear that the Azerbaijan-Turkey alliance is waging war against Artsakh and Armenia with the help of mercenaries and terrorists,” said Armenian Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Other countries must understand that the Turks are a danger, a catastrophe for all humanity. The issue now is not to help the Armenians defeat, but to protect humanity from the Turks,” she said, concluding the interview.
The Greek Riviera News report comes as Greek City Times exclusively revealed that around 80 Greek citizens are volunteering to fight in the Armenian-majority region of Artsakh, which although is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan, has been an integral part of the Armenian homeland for over 2,500 years.
Other sources, like Sputnik Hellas, claim that the contingent of Greek citizens who are preparing to leave to defend Artsakh from the Turkish and Azerbaijani invasion already numbers in the hundreds.