11/10/2020 Turkey (International Christian Concern) – After more than a month of fighting, Turkey has signed an agreement ending fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, securing gains for its ally Azerbaijan. The agreement was also signed by Armenia, along with its ally Russia, to bring a cease-fire between the two sides. Three previous agreements have already failed to stop the violence. Turkey’s involvement in the conflict has exacerbated anti-Armenian sentiment throughout the country and has made life increasingly difficult for Armenian Christians.
On Tuesday, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu congratulated Azerbaijan on the victory. “The brotherly Azerbaijan has achieved an important gain on the battleground and table,” Cavusoglu wrote on Twitter. “I sincerely congratulate this sacred success. We will continue to be one nation, one spirit with our Azeri brothers.”
The agreement comes just days after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev claimed that their forces had taken Shushi from Armenia, the second-largest city in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. However, this claim has been challenged by Armenia, who said that the fighting over the important city is ongoing.
Throughout the conflict, Turkey has supported militants joining the Azerbaijani forces in an effort to gain territory in the Nagorno-Karabakh region from Armenia. Turkey has a long history of anti-Armenian sentiment, dating back to its genocide against the Armenian community in the early 20th century during the Ottoman era. As a result, Turkish involvement has perpetuated widespread discrimination against Armenians throughout Turkey. In a previous report, ICC documented many of these instances that have caused Armenians living in Turkey to live in fear.
