Month: May 2021

CivilNet: Soviet-era enclaves at the heart of Armenian-Azerbaijani border crisis

Manouk Vasilian
CIVILNET.AM

01:05

By Syuzanna Petrosyan

Armenia and Azerbaijan are beginning the process of border demarcation and delimitation, Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan announced during a special meeting of the National Assembly on Thursday. 

Armenia and Azerbaijan (as well as Armenia and Georgia) did not demarcate their borders after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In Soviet times, these borders were internal and thus did not have to be defined.

In this process of demarcation, the most problematic issue for Armenia is the fate of the small enclaves. Three Soviet Azerbaijani enclaves – Voskepar and Barkhudarly in Armenia’s northeast and Karki in the south – remained under the control of Armenia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, Soviet Armenia’s Artsvashen enclave came under Azerbaijani control.

Voskepar and Karki are of strategic importance for Armenia: vital interstate highways connecting Armenia with Georgia and Iran pass through these territories.

In a parliament session on Thursday, Pashinyan said that as a result of the First Karabakh war, more than 70 square kilometers of Soviet Armenia remained in Azerbaijan. He noted that both Armenia and Azerbaijan control territories that internationally belong to the other side. 

“Since the 1990s, there have been combat positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, which are located on the [former] territory of Soviet Armenia. And we have the opposite situation,” Pashinyan said.

According to the acting prime minister, there are various ways to solve the problem. For example, he said, “we can fix the existing situation by a state border,” implying that Azerbaijani enclaves inside Armenia remain in Armenia and Armenian enclaves inside Azerbaijan remain there. This would solve Armenia’s transportation issue to Georgia and Iran. 

In a televised interview on Thursday,  Armenia’s Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan said that a new Armenia-Azerbaijan-Russia trilateral working group will be created, which will finally determine the country’s borders. Grigoryan did not rule out a return to Soviet era borders, but stressed that everything will be resolved through negotiations. 

A return to Soviet era borders would mean that the three Azerbaijani enclaves will become part of Azerbaijan, while Armenia will gain control over its Artsvashen enclave on its eastern border. 

“While Artsvashen has no strategic significance for Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani enclaves of Voskepar and Karki currently inside Armenia are of strategic economic importance –  Armenia’s roads to Georgia and Iran pass through them. Nonetheless,  Azerbaijan might demand the return of these enclaves to place additional diplomatic and economic pressure on Armenia,” says Karen Harutyunyan, CivilNet’s editor-in-chief.

“No one can say now what the agreement will be,” Armen Grigoryan said, hinting that these negotiations may last for years. 

…

Earlier this month, Pashinyan resigned from his post as prime minister to trigger snap parliamentary elections as envisaged by the constitution. He will remain as acting prime minister until a new government is formed following June 20 elections.

Armenia Premier Touts Azeri Border-Mapping Pact Amid Tensions

Emma Jilavian
Bloomberg
By 

Sara Khojoyan
, 3:13 PM GMT+3
  •  
    Opposition parties accuse Pashinyan over Russia-brokered deal
  •  
    Armenia, Azerbaijan have clashed over state border’s location

Asign reading "Welcome to Azerbaijan" placed next on the side of a road leading to the village of Shurnukh.

 

Photographer: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images

Armenia’s acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he’ll sign a new Russia-brokered agreement with Azerbaijan on a mechanism to mark out their shared border amid military tensions over disputed territory.

The accord will help avoid situations like the confrontation with Azerbaijani troops who’ve encroached onto land inside Armenia this month, Pashinyan told lawmakers late Thursday in the capital, Yerevan, after a copy of the document was leaked. Delineation of the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be achieved “only through diplomatic and political means,” he said.

Tensions are running high over the border following the 44-day war that killed thousands on both sides late last year. Azerbaijan regained seven districts occupied by Armenia for decades and took control of part of the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh before Russia negotiated a truce in November. The terms of that deal include opening shared borders that in many instances haven’t been marked out since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Pashinyan, who faces June 20 parliamentary elections, said more than 500 Azerbaijani troops have crossed into Armenia’s Syunik and Gegharkunik regions since May 12, and that there had been clashes including shooting between the two sides. He told lawmakers he’ll only sign the accord once they’ve withdrawn.

Azerbaijan denies its forces entered Armenian territory and says the troops are engaged in marking out the state border.

France, the U.S., and Iran have called for Armenia’s territorial integrity to be respected and for Azerbaijan to pull back its troops. Armenia has appealed to Russia for military assistance under a 1997 defense pact.

How Azerbaijan-Armenia Dispute Drew In Russia, Turkey: QuickTake

Pashinyan is facing criticism from opposition parties over the document, which states that a border commission will be formed by May 31 and start work next month. Edmon Marukyan, leader of the Bright Armenia party, said “once again a document has been drafted behind the Armenian people’s back,” following the cease-fire deal negotiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin that ended the war.

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian, who met Friday with Pashinyan to discuss the issue, and some members of the acting government have said they were unaware of the document. Opposition parties insist any agreement requires parliamentary ratification, which could only happen after the elections.

  

Karabakh citizens hold protest against Armenia acting PM’s conspiratorial documents

Talar Tumanian
News.am, Armenia
Karabakh citizens hold protest against Armenia acting PM's conspiratorial documents
23:07, 20.05.2021

Citizens of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) today gathered at the central square in Stepanakert and held a protest during which they expressed their concern about the current crisis and declared that the actions that the authorities of Armenia are taking will cause more devastating consequences for both Armenia and Artsakh, Yerkir.am reports.

The protesters also touched upon the document that has been placed into circulation and by which the authorities of Armenia are carrying out a new conspiracy behind the backs of the Armenian people.


Armenia acting PM: There is no and can’t be any confidential annex since this itself is a confidential working document

Lilit Nahapetian
News.am, Armenia
Armenia acting PM: There is no and can't be any confidential annex since this itself is a confidential working document
23:48, 20.05.2021

I’m not sure whether this discussion will be helpful from the perspective of solving the posed questions, but it will surely be helpful from the perspective of informing the public. This is what acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during today’s special session of the National Assembly.

“We all know what has been going on since May 12. I have touched upon the government’s evaluations and actions since then and would like to talk about the results. I still believe the aim of Azerbaijan’s actions was to incite a military clash on the border in the narrowest section of the sovereign territory of Armenia and start taking action in the depth of the territory of Armenia. By assessing the situation, the government decided to let the situation get out of hand and settle the issue through diplomatic means,” Pashinyan said and emphasized that Armenia’s efforts are effective because there is consensus over the situation among the international community, which is recording the unlawfulness of Azerbaijan’s actions and the need for Azerbaijan to leave the sovereign territory of Armenia.

Pashinyan informed that the European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the return of Armenian POWs and, at the last minute, made a supplement to the resolution in regard to the territorial integrity of Armenia.

Talking about the document on the demarcation and delimitation of the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the acting premier stated that since Armenia doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan, the process needs to be implemented in the trilateral format. He added that there is no and can’t be any confidential annex since this document is itself a confidential working document.

CivilNet: New Agreement In the Works Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Emil Lazarian
CIVILNET.AM

08:05

In a government session, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that Armenia and Azerbaijan are close to an agreement. There are speculations that the final document will include territorial concessions. Part of the agreement was leaked yesterday but Pashinyan says there is more to it than the conditions. Pashinyan said his government is working to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, and “to rule out any scenario of war or military conflict,” and “to get the representatives of the Azerbaijani armed forces to leave the territory of the Republic of Armenia.” The prime minister spoke on other issues including opening transport communications, the CSTO and a lasting settlement with Azerbaijan. 



RFE/RL Armenian Report – 05/20/2021

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Thursday, 

Kocharian Ally Faces New Charges

        • Marine Khachatrian

Armenian - Armen Gevorgian, a former senior aide to ex-President Robert 
Kocharian, speaks to journalists in a court building in Yerevan, January 29, 
2019.

Armen Gevorgian, a former senior government official allied to ex-President 
Robert Kocharian, accused the Armenian authorities of political persecution on 
Thursday after being charged with money laundering.

The Special Investigative Service (SIS) formally indicted Gevorgian on Tuesday 
one day after it was announced that he will manage the parliamentary election 
campaign of a newly established opposition alliance led by Kocharian.

The SIS claimed that Gevorgian abused his powers to “legalize” about 5 billion 
drams ($9,600) in “revenues obtained in a criminal way” when he held various 
government positions from 2004-2018. It said that he also pressured local 
government officials to let individuals linked to him buy communal land at 
knockdown prices.

Gevorgian rejected the accusations as politically motivated after visiting the 
SIS headquarters in Yerevan. He said they are aimed at hampering his political 
activities in the run-up to the snap parliamentary elections slated for June 20.

“I refused to cooperate with the SIS,” he told reporters. “Life has shown that 
this agency only executes political orders and fabricates politically motivated 
cases. I have not familiarized and will not familiarize myself with the 
accusations. I don’t care about that pile of papers.”

One of Gevorgian’s lawyers, Erik Aleksanian, also dismissed the accusations, 
saying that the investigators have not specified any criminal activity that led 
to the alleged money laundering. He suggested that they would have indicted his 
client earlier had they had any incriminating evidence.

The SIS opened the criminal case one year ago.

Gevorgian is already standing trial, together with Kocharian, on bribery charges 
strongly denied by both men.

Gevorgian, 47, was a senior aide to Kocharian during the former president’s 
decade-long rule. He worked as chief of the presidential staff from 2006-2008 
and became Armenia’s deputy prime minister after Kocharian handed over power to 
Serzh Sarkisian in April 2008.



European Parliament Again Slams Turkey’s Role In Karabakh War


Belgium - A plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, April 26, 
2021.

The European Parliament has again condemned Turkey for supporting Azerbaijan 
during last year’s war in Nagorno-Karabakh with “provocative rhetoric” and 
jihadist fighters recruited in Syria.

In a resolution adopted on Wednesday, the European Union’s legislative body also 
renewed its calls for Turkey to recognize the 1915 Armenian genocide in the 
Ottoman Empire. It said Ankara must also end “anti-Armenian propaganda and hate 
speech” and protect Turkey’s Armenian cultural heritage.

The extensive resolution is highly critical of the Turkish government’s human 
rights record and foreign policy, saying that they have brought the EU’s 
relations with Turkey to a “historical low point.” It says that the EU should 
formally suspend accession talks with Ankara unless the latter reverses a 
“continuous and growing distancing from EU values and standards.”

The European Parliament said that instead of backing international peace efforts 
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration chose to “unconditionally 
sustain and support the military actions of Azerbaijan in the recent conflict in 
Nagorno-Karabakh by resorting to provocative rhetoric.”

It condemned the “transfer of foreign fighters from Syria and elsewhere to 
Nagorno-Karabakh, as confirmed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries.” 
Ankara should avoid actions and statements that could “further exacerbate 
tensions in the south Caucasus region,” it said.

EU lawmakers already deplored Turkey’s “destabilizing role” in the Karabakh 
conflict and called for an end to Turkish military aid to Azerbaijan in two 
other resolutions passed in January.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry denounced the latest resolution as “biased” later 
on Wednesday. In particular, it criticized the European Parliament for 
supporting “the one-sided and inconsistent Armenian narratives regarding the 
1915 events.”



Pashinian Confirms Draft Border Deal With Azerbaijan (UPDATED)

        • Naira Nalbandian

Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks during a cabinet meeting in 
Yerevan, .

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Thursday admitted that Armenia and Azerbaijan 
are close to signing a Russian-brokered agreement on the demarcation of their 
border but denied a prominent critic’s claims that it will be heavily tilted in 
favor of Baku.

Mikael Minasian, a former Armenian ambassador to the Vatican, publicized on 
Wednesday what he described as a copy of the first page of a draft joint 
statement by Pashinian and the presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia.

The opening paragraph of the hitherto unknown document calls for the creation of 
an Armenian-Azerbaijani commission on border delimitation and demarcation. The 
rest of the page posted by Minasian on Facebook is blacked out.

Minasian claimed that if implemented the agreement and a “secret” protocol 
attached to it will have “disastrous consequences” for Armenia. In particular, 
he said, it could lead to a handover of major chunks of Armenian territory to 
Azerbaijan.

Minasian also said Pashinian has made the signing of the deal conditional on the 
withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from Armenian border areas occupied by them 
last week.

Pashinian essentially confirmed the existence of such a document when he spoke 
at a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan.

“The solutions, preliminary agreements that have been reached with our 
international partners correspond to Armenia’s national interests by 100 percent 
… And yes, if Azerbaijan implements those understandings on the conditions that 
we’ve discussed, I will sign that paper,” he said.

Without mentioning Minasian by name Pashinian accused critics of distorting the 
essence of the draft deal. This is why the publicized segment of the leaked 
document was mostly blacked out, he said, branding his detractors “agents of 
Azerbaijan’s information warfare.”

Minasian, who is also a son-in-law of former President Serzh Sarkisian, 
responded by challenging Pashinian to make all provisions of the deal public.

The prime minister said he will not do that because the document in question is 
just a “working paper” that may still be amended.


Armenia - Former Armenian Ambassador to the Vatican Mikael Minasian.
Still, the draft statement was leaked to the Armlur.am news website and fully 
published by it later in the day. It says that the commission on the 
delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani frontier shall be 
formed by May 31 and hold its first meeting by June 30. It makes no references 
to any Armenian territorial concessions.

Pashinian confirmed the veracity of the document when he spoke at an emergency 
session of the Armenian parliament on Thursday evening. “I want to assure you 
that there is and there can be no secret appendices to it,” he told lawmakers.

Pashinian confirmed that Yerevan will agree to the creation of the demarcation 
commission only if Baku withdraws its forces from the Armenian side of the 
border. “Our position remains that Azerbaijani troops must leave Armenian 
territory without preconditions,” he said.

The parliament debate was initiated by the two opposition parties represented in 
the outgoing National Assembly. Their leaders described Pashinian’s confirmation 
of the proposed border deal as a worrying development for Armenia’s national 
security.

“Once again a document has been drafted behind the Armenian people’s back, and 
neither the parliament deputies nor, I think, most government members know 
anything about its content,” Edmon Marukian, the leader of the Bright Armenia 
Party, told reporters before the debate.

Andranik Kocharian, the pro-government chairman of the parliament committee on 
defense and security, acknowledged that he was not aware of the existence of the 
drat Armenian-Azerbaijani-Russian statement up until Pashinian’s announcement.


Armenia - Human rights ombudsman Arman Tatoyan talks to Armenian soldiers 
deployed in Syunik province, May 14, 2021. (Photo by the Armenian Human Rights 
Defender's Office)

Armenia’s human rights ombudsman, Arman Tatoyan, also voiced serious concern 
over the revelation. He said the government must shed more light on the document 
“partially published on the Internet yesterday and confirmed at today’s 
government session.”

Russia proposed the creation of the commission on the delimitation and 
demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani frontier earlier this week. The proposal 
came amid a continuing military standoff at several sections of the border where 
the Azerbaijani forces reportedly advanced several kilometres into Armenian 
territory on May 12-13.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow is ready to 
participate in the commission’s activities as a “consultant or mediator.” 
Armenian officials said Azerbaijani troop withdrawal is a necessary condition 
for the creation of such a body.


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijan responds to India’s MFA regarding Armenian-Azerbaijani border events

Christine Harutyunian
POLITICS 13:00 (UTC+04:00)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20

Trend:

It's extremely strange that the Foreign Ministry of India, a country which over the past 30 years hasn't called for the withdrawal of the Armenian Armed Forces from the previously occupied territories of Azerbaijan, is now talking about the ‘withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces’, Spokesperson for Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva said.

Abdullayeva made the remark commenting on the words of the official representative of the Indian ministry in connection with the latest events on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Trend reports.

She stressed that the main reason for the disagreements on border issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan is the illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia until November 2020.

"So, it’s Armenia that violates the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is only restoring its internationally recognized borders, continues to strengthen the system of border protection within its territorial integrity, and this process is carried out on the basis of maps held by each of the parties and defining the border line between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the spokesperson noted.

“In recent months, there have been disagreements between the parties on border issues, and all of them were resolved through negotiations between the parties to the trilateral agreement (between Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia),” she further said. “Besides, it’s clear that the last statement of the Indian Foreign Ministry talking about the ‘withdrawal of troops’ was made without a comprehensive study of various aspects of the issue."

"I’d like to remind that Azerbaijan has always called and calls for sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the internationally recognized borders of states. We believe that mutual respect and strict adherence to these principles is the only way to resolve any dispute and establish good-neighborly relations in the full sense of the word,” the spokesperson added. “As the current chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan has identified the promotion of the Bandung principles as one of the priorities of its chairmanship. These principles contribute to the development of justice and equality in international relations and ensure the observance of the norms and principles of international law.”

Any attempts to damage unity within the framework of the Non-Aligned Movement are unacceptable," Abdullayeva noted.

Talking about how one can be confident in Armenia's commitment to the principles of international law in the future, Abdullayeva said that unfortunately, xenophobia and intolerance stemming from it are severely gaining foothold in Armenia.

“It’s of particular concern that this tendency is directed not only against Azerbaijan, but also any people or group that has an opinion different from the views of the Armenian side," Abdullayeva noted.

She emphasized that the Nazis' accomplices are idolized and international terrorists are glorified in Armenia.

According to her, an inexplicable act of vandalism was recently committed against the monument of Mahatma Gandhi in Armenia, the world famous supporter of peace.

"Such extremism displays are dangerous and must be immediately eliminated. It’s necessary to induce Armenia to abandon such dangerous ideas as ‘national superiority’ and ‘territorial expansion’. Only after that Armenia will be able to benefit from good-neighborly relations and regional cooperation,” the spokesperson said, adding that Azerbaijan, for its part, remains committed to peace, security, regional development and cooperation based on sovereignty, territorial integrity and internationally recognized borders.

Azerbaijani press: MFA: Azerbaijan restoring internationally-recognized borders

Rose Khoyetsian
14:13 (UTC+04:00)
705

By Vafa Ismayilova

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva has said that Azerbaijan is restoring its internationally recognized borders, the Foreign Ministry reported on May 20.

Abdullayeva made the remarks while commenting on an Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman's statement on the recent developments along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Internationally-recognized borders' restoration

"Let me first underline that the key reason of the border issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan is Armenia’s illegal occupation of Azerbaijan’s territories till November 2020. Hence, it is Armenia that violated Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders. And now Azerbaijan is just restoring its internationally recognized borders," Abdullayea said.

She reiterated that Azerbaijan continues its work on the border protection system within the country's territorial integrity and this process is carried out on the basis of maps available to each of the sides that define the borderline between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"Several disagreements occurred between the sides on border issues earlier, and all of them were settled via negotiations among the sides to the trilateral statements," Abdullayeva said.

The spokesperson described as "quite strange" the lack of any appeal from the Indian Foreign Ministry in past 30 years calling for the withdrawal of Armenia's occupying forces from the Azerbaijani territories.

"And [it] is now speaking about pulling back forces. Apparently, this latest statement was made without a proper thorough examination of various dimensions of this issue," the spokesperson said.

Abdullayeva said that "Azerbaijan has always been calling for, and continues to call for, the full respect of sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders of states. We believe that mutual respect for and strict adherence to these principles is the only way to settle any dispute and build truly good neighborly relations".

She stressed that Azerbaijan as a current chair of the Non-Aligned Movement has made the promotion of the Bandung Principles one of the priorities of its chairmanship.

"These principles have contributed to the promotion of justice and equality in international relations and ensured respect for the norms and principles of international law. Any attempts that harm the unity within the NAM are deplorable," she said.

Xenophobia on rise in Armenia

Abdullayeva underlined rising intolerance and xenophobia in Armenia.

"Unfortunately, we observe a dramatic rise in intolerance and xenophobia in Armenia. What is particularly troubling is that this trend is aimed not only against Azerbaijan but now covers any nation or group that would dare to express an opinion even slightly differing from an Armenian line. In this country, the Nazi collaborators are idolized and international terrorists are glorified. An incomprehensible act of vandalism was recently taken against the monument to such a world-known proponent of peace and tolerance as Mahatma Gandhi," she said.

Abdullayeva said that such trends of extremism are dangerous and they must be addressed immediately. "Armenia must be encouraged to abandon toxic ideas of national supremacy and territorial expansion. Armenia must finally start abiding by international law and making its key principles a basis for the normalization of relations with neighboring states. Only then Armenia will start benefiting from the good neighborhood and regional cooperation," the spokesperson said.

She stressed that Azerbaijan continues to be strongly committed to peace, security, regional development and cooperation on the basis of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders.

The hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia resumed after that latter started firing at Azerbaijani civilians and military positions starting September 27, 2020. The war ended on November 10 with the signing of a trilateral peace deal by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders.

The peace agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani Army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centres and historic Shusha city. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.

Turkish press: Drones used by PKK terrorists to attack Turkish military targets used Canadian technology, security sources say

Alex Jidarian
 ISTANBUL WAR ON TERROR 
MAY 20, 2021 9:55 AM GMT+3
The wreckage of a PKK drone the terrorist group tried to use to mount an attack lies on the ground after Turkish security forces downed it in northern Iraq, May 11, 2021. (AA Photo)

Drones used by PKK terrorists to attack Turkish military facilities were made using Canadian technology, according to security sources.

A part of the technology, which was used to make the unit invisible to radar, was allegedly purchased from Canada, Hürriyet daily reported Thursday, citing security sources.

The technology used in drones and model planes used by the PKK had complicated multi-frequency features, which make it difficult for anti-drone systems and jammers to spot, especially at night time.

The details were revealed after Turkish defense industry firms, including Aselsan, carried out work on the drones, the report said, adding that they immediately deactivated the aforementioned frequencies.

Canadian officials have not made a comment about the issue.

Canada recently imposed restrictions on the sale of the L3Harris Wescam camera systems for Baykar armed drones, which played a key role in Azerbaijan’s victory against the Armenian occupation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Export licenses were suspended in 2019 during Turkish military activities in Syria. Restrictions were then eased but reimposed during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The PKK terrorists recently increased their attacks on Turkish military facilities using drones made to look like model planes. On May 11, they attempted to target Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq's Metina region, while on Tuesday they used two model planes to attack the 8th Main Jet Base Command in Diyarbakır province.

Turkey has carried out numerous cross-border operations in northern Iraq over the years to fight the PKK, which maintains bases in the region.

In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.