October 21, 2020
Turkey’s Vice-President Fuat Oktay (right) with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev in Baku in 2019
Turkey will not hesitate to send soldiers and provide military support for Azerbaijan if such a request is made by Baku, Vice President Fuat Okaty said on Wednesday, adding there was no such request at the moment, Reuters reported.
Speaking in an interview with broadcaster CNN Turk, Oktay also criticized the OSCE’s Minsk Group of trying to keep the issue unresolved and supporting Armenia, both politically and militarily.
In comments to Azerbaijan’s parliament, Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop portrayed Armenia as the aggressor and criticized mediation by France, Russia and the United States—the Minsk Group co-chairing countries.
“If they are sincere on their path to peace, those who have held Armenia’s leash and supported it for years need to end this dangerous game now and stop supporting Armenia. Azerbaijan does not have another 30 years to wait,” Sentop said, according to Reuters.
The Minsk Group, he said, “is brain dead.”
In a speech to the nation, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said Baku was willing to end fighting as soon as possible to complete the restoration of what it sees as its territorial integrity.
Baku also wants Turkey directly involved in the conflict settlement process, which Armenia opposes.