The threats from the joint Turkish-Azerbaijani military exercises to be held in Kars early next month should not be downplayed, according to Armenian expert on Turkey Ruben Melkonyan.
"The drills have attracted opposing reactions. According to some claims, they don’t pose any threats, but I think it’s not a right approach. Others, including me, believe that Turkey and Azerbaijan are a threat not only to Armenia, but also to the entire region, including our strategic partner Russia. The steps of those states continue to pose threats to our statehood and our region," he told a news conference on Saturday.
In Melkonyan’s words, military exercises, preparation for military operations and other steps of these countries should be perceived as a potential threat.
"The specter of a great war is haunting our region, but it's not yet clear when the war will start and which big countries will become its targets, Iran or Russia, we'll have to see how things unfold. But in case of any scenario, Armenia remains a target. Armenia remains at risk of becoming a theater of war. We should not ignore all this," the expert said.
According to him, even though such military exercises are held regularly, they pose a clear threat, since they are carried out by the countries that continue to pursue aggressive policies. The problems in the region have not been completely resolved, Melkonyan said, adding the occupation of a part of Artsakh by Azerbaijan is not the end of a big war plan.
"Thus, we can assume that there is a possibility of renewed hostilities in the region," Melkonyan noted.