Author: Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

Turkish press: EU, Azerbaijan cooperation ‘intensifying,’ foreign policy chief says

Emil Lazarian
Agnes Szucs   |19.07.2022

EU High Representative Josep Borrell (L) and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov attend the EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Council Meeting in Brussels, Belgium on July 19, 2022. ( Dursun Aydemir – Anadolu Agency )

BRUSSELS

The cooperation between the European Union and Azerbaijan is growing, the EU foreign policy chief said on Tuesday.

“Azerbaijan is an important partner for the European Union and our cooperation is intensifying,” Josep Borrell said at a joint news conference with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov following their meeting in Brussels.

Both Borrell and Bayramov welcomed the deal between the EU and Azerbaijan to double gas imports in five years.

Bayramov hailed the energy cooperation between the bloc and his country and asserted that Azerbaijan will increase the share of renewables from the current 17% to 30% by 2030 in line with the EU’s commitments toward climate neutrality.

On Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev signed a deal on doubling Azeri gas imports as part of the bloc’s efforts to decrease dependency on Russian energy.

According to the plans, Azerbaijan will deliver 12 billion cubic meters of gas next year and 20 billion cubic meters by 2027 through the Trans Adriatic Pipeline to the EU.

Azerbaijan-Armenia reconciliation

Borrell appreciated the recent talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia in order to normalize relations, and stressed the EU is “supporting all efforts to make the South Caucasus a secure, stable and prosperous space.”

For his part, Bayramov thanked Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, for his mediation efforts.

He highlighted that the “EU plays an important role in the post-conflict period” in the relations between the two countries.

Bayramov also ruled out any other alternatives to normalization than “mutual recognition and respect for each other’s sovereignty between internationally recognized borders.”

As part of the EU’s diplomatic efforts, Michel hosted in April a meeting between Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Brussels where the two sides expressed willingness to secure a peace agreement.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

After new clashes erupted in September 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.

The fighting ended in November 2020 with a Russian-brokered deal.

Turkish press: Norway, Canada start fundraising to buy Bayraktar TB2s for Ukraine

Emil Lazarian
 ISTANBUL JUL 19, 2022 – 12:22 PM GMT+3

A Turkish Bayraktar TB2 combat drone is on view during a presentation at the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Siauliai, Lithuania, July 6, 2022. (AFP Photo)

Following similar steps by Lithuania and Poland, the people of Norway and Canada have started crowdfunding campaigns to buy Turkey-made Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) for Ukraine.

Norwegians plan to collect 55 million kroner (about $5.5 million) and transfer it to the aid fund at the Ukrainian Embassy, media reports said.

The related campaign was published on the Spleis fundraising website.

“Give a Bayraktar from a Norwegian to the Ukrainian people – show solidarity with Ukraine’s fight against (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. Lithuania collected one Bayraktar in three days, Poland collected three Bayraktars and Ukraine collected three Bayraktars in a few days. Of course, Norway must do at least the same,” the statement on the website read.

Canadians meanwhile aim to raise C$7 million (around $5.5 million) to buy the drone for Ukraine before the country’s Independence Day.

Poland and Lithuania both raised the target amount but drone maker Baykar said it would give the drones to these countries free of charge, asking for the money raised to be used to aid the Ukrainian people.

Pictures shared by the Lithuanian government a week ago showed the drone, featuring the logo of a hawk in Lithuania and Ukraine’s colors, has already been delivered.

Ukraine has bought more than 20 Bayraktar TB2 armed drones from Baykar in recent years and ordered a further 16 on Jan. 27. That batch was delivered in early March.

Baykar late last month said it would be donating three drones to Ukraine after a crowdfunding campaign there raised enough funds to buy “several” of the Bayraktar TB2 model.

The company said the crowdfunding campaign in Ukraine had reached the milestone in a few days and that business leaders as well ordinary people contributed to the fund.

Meanwhile, the Canadian government previously imposed an embargo against Baykar for the Bayraktar TB2’s subsystems following its use by Azerbaijan in Karabakh, previously referred to as Nagorno-Karabakh.

In April 2021, Canada canceled export permits for drone technology to Turkey after concluding that the country sold the equipment to the Azerbaijani military forces during fighting in Armenian-occupied Karabakh. Export licenses were initially suspended in 2019 during Turkish military activities in Syria. Restrictions were then eased but reimposed during the conflict in the Caucasus.

Among its claims, the Canadian government asserted that the drones used by Azerbaijan in the conflict had been equipped with imaging and targeting systems made by L3Harris Wescam, the Canada-based unit of L3Harris Technologies Inc.

Baykar’s Bayraktar TB2s played a vital role during the conflict that erupted between Azerbaijan and the fellow ex-Soviet republic of Armenia, Turkey’s counterterrorism operations in Syria and retaliatory moves against the country’s Russia-backed regime, and most recently in Ukraine where they have been used against Russian heavy military gear, from air defense systems to even naval platforms.

Following Canada’s export decision, the Turkish company said that the UCAVs have been equipped with the Common Aperture Targeting System (CATS) developed by leading defense contractor Aselsan, replacing those acquired from abroad, namely from Canadian companies.

KnowWay online educational platform offers IT classes to Armenians living abroad

Emil Lazarian

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 09:30, 19 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS. The KnowWay Online Educational Platform is offering group and personal lessons and other modern classes to help Armenian youth living abroad become more competitive and successful in the job market.

KnowWay founder Hakob Tagayan told ARMENPRESS that they offer comparably affordable and high-quality lessons that will connect Armenians abroad and provide a platform for networking. By conducting the classes in Armenian language they seek to contribute to the students preserving and developing their knowledge of their native language.

Tagayan worked for a similar platform for more than 4 years. He first worked at the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies and then taught programming.

KnowWay offers 5 educational directions: Programming, Graphic Design, Game Development, Music and Chess.

Tagayan states that the name KnowWay says it all – they try to show the way to knowledge and learning new things to their students.

Soon KnowWay will add Character Design and Algorithms to their classes.

Music and Chess, directions that at first glance might seem to have nothing to do with technologies, are most directly tied with the digital world in the platform.

“We introduced chess into the platform based on the demand. It is directly tied with the development of students, its scheme can be reflected in the programming classes. For example, we create 2D arrays with _javascript_, which is a coordinate system. The arrays are like chess, which in turn is built upon a coordinate system. Regarding music, we teach only using interesting instruments,” Tagayan said.

The platform is currently in English language but soon the Armenian version will be launched. 

Karine Terteryan

Iran’s export to Armenia increases 21% in 3 months on year

Emil Lazarian

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 13:10, 19 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS. The value of Iran’s export to Armenia increased 21% in the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21), from the first quarter of the previous year, the spokesman of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) said, Tehran Times reports.

Ruhollah Latifi said that Iran exported commodities worth $74 million to Armenia in the three-month period.

Iran and Armenia signed a memorandum of understanding at the end of the two countries’ 17th meeting of Joint Economic Committee in Yerevan in mid-May.

The MOU, which covers cooperation in areas of transit, transportation, facilitation of exchange of goods, energy, development of environmental cooperation in Aras area and removal of pollution from border rivers, as well as medical tourism, was signed by Iranian Energy Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian and Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, who are the chairmen of the two countries’ Joint Economic Committee.

According to the officials, the purpose of holding the 17th meeting of Iran-Armenia Joint Economic Committee was the real and tangible development of relations between the two countries.

Nagorno Karabakh: no support for Yerevan from the Council of Europe

Emil Lazarian
Italy – July 18 2022
by Vladimir Rozanskij

First the Armenians must break their close ties with Russia. Europe condemns both Armenia and Azerbaijan for the 2020 conflict. Apart from historical cultural relations, Yerevan appears far from the prospects of any form of European integration.

Moscow (AsiaNews) – The participation of the Armenian delegation in the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) opens up various interpretations of the possible development of relations between Yerevan and the Old Continent. According to the Armenian newspaper Graparak, the main purpose of the presence was to find support for the release of the many Armenian prisoners, who remained in the hands of the Azeris after the 44-day war in 2020 in Nagorno Karabakh, which Armenians call Artsakh.

According to representatives of the majority Armenian party ‘Civil Contract’, the Apce parliamentarians examined the text proposed by Yerevan, warning that there will be no support or agreement until Armenia decides which side it is on, with Russia or Europe. Indeed, it is not clear on what basis the Armenians are asking for support against the Azeris, without conceding anything in return, bearing in mind that Azerbaijan will certainly not be willing to meet its opponents’ demands for free.

The question also concerns the ways in which Europe could effectively influence to distance Yerevan from Moscow, also taking into account the favour this hypothesis arouses in a large part of the Armenian population and also its political class. The main problem is Armenia’s economic dependence on Russia, its main trading partner and historical protector from the enemies of the surrounding Islamic countries. The country’s borders are guarded by Russian soldiers, who have stationed their own military base in the city of Gyumri, the 102nd ever to guard Armenia.

Armenian political scientist Rovšan Ibragimov, a professor at the Khankuk International University in Korea, commented in Azatutyun that ‘this information is rather contradictory, and rather reflects Armenia’s internal political competition, rather than the possibilities for agreement in the international arena. Moreover, the Aceh and the European Union are not the same thing, and the parliamentary assembly does not play a decisive role in these matters’.

Indeed, the documents of the Aceh in recent years on Nagorno Karabakh are rather ambiguous, condemning to varying degrees both Yerevan and Baku’s actions, and are in any case only in the nature of recommendations. MPs do not vote on behalf of states, but of the parties they belong to, and Armenia is represented by only two MPs, as it is not a very populated country, and they too are from two opposing parties.

Armenia also, beyond its limited participation in European institutions, remains a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (Russian-driven) and Csto, the post-Soviet NATO controlled by Russia.

Yerevan appears far from the prospects of any form of European integration. The Caucasian country’s historical and cultural ties with Europe and the Mediterranean, which date back centuries, and the solidarity of Westerners for the memory of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century remain, but today’s history imposes quite different priorities.

 

Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijan’s FM, Russian FM address transport, transit issues in S.Caucasus

Emil Lazarian
Politics Materials 20 July 2022 21:00


BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20. Phone talks between Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov took place on July 20, the Azerbaijani ministry told Trend.

The ministers discussed relevant issues on the bilateral agenda and the current regional situation. They emphasized the importance of implementing the trilateral statements adopted by the Azerbaijani, Russian, and Armenian leaders.

Furthermore, the sides exchanged views on transport and transit issues in the South Caucasus, particularly noted the essence of expanding the North-South transport corridor’s potential passing through Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran.

The sides also discussed other issues of mutual interest.

Azerbaijan Talks Up Zangazur Corridor Amongst Armenian Concerns As Transit Trade Grows

Emil Lazarian
July 18 2022
 Jul 18, 2022Posted bySilk Road Briefing

Azerbaijan has been talking up the need for the contentious Zangazur Corridor development as the country expands its freight and energy transit capabilities. Transit cargo traffic through Azerbaijan increased by nearly 30% in H1 2022, while feeds through from Baku to the INSTC grew up to 300%. Azerbaijan’s geographical position and its established infrastructure have enabled the country to become an increasingly important transit logistics hub.

Developing that further comes with some tricky political problems, with the proposed Zangazur Corridor, which would create a direct link between Russia and Iran, and improved access between the EU and Asia becoming a hot political and infrastructure development topic.

The problems lie with its location – a Zangazur corridor would give Azerbaijan unimpeded access to Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic without Armenian checkpoints, via Armenia’s Syunik Province, and, in a broader sense, create a geopolitical corridor that would connect Turkey to the rest of the Turkic world thus “uniting it”. The concept has been increasingly promoted by Azerbaijan and Turkey since the end of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, while Armenia has steadily objected to it, asserting that “corridor logic” deviates from the ceasefire statement trilaterally signed at the end of that war.

Azerbaijan, Turkey and Russia essentially have the upper hand over Armenia here, although none will wish to provoke Yerevan too far into a resumption of hostilities over the Nakhchivan disputed region. The irony is that should the corridor become functional, Armenia would benefit as it would than have rail connectivity connection through to Russia, as well as Turkyie and Iran. The region is the collision point between Orthodox Armenia and Russia, and Islamic Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkyie and has the potential to flare up. Diplomatic solutions need to be found to bring Armenia on board – paying for its rail connectivity, or persuading the EU to do so under the auspices of diverting more Azeri gas to the EU would probably help.

There has been progress, albeit slow. In November 2021, the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and the co-chair of the trilateral task force dealing with cross-border connections, Alexei Overchuk said that “Armenia and Azerbaijan will retain sovereignty over roads passing through their territory”. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed this, commenting on the media speculation about the “Zangazur corridor”. The chairman of Azerbaijan’s Center of Analysis of International Relations Farid Shafiyev said that if Armenia does not want to say “corridor”, then an alternative term can be used, but insisted that unimpeded access for unimpeded movement to Nakhchivan must be given without any Armenian checkpoints, with the security of transport links provided only by the Russian border guards. According to Anar Valiyev, the dean of the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, “What Azerbaijan wants is no checkpoints, not to have to stop at the border . . . We are in a situation where we have leverage, we have time, and we can dictate terms.”

In December 2021, in Brussels, during a press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Valiyev expressed a view that the “Zangazur corridor” should function as the Lachin corridor. During this, he said that the opening of the Zangazur corridor “is provisioned in the 10 November 2020 ceasefire agreement”, adding that just as Azerbaijan assures security and entry to Lachin corridor, Armenia should provide the same unhampered entrance to the Zangazur corridor, without customs enforcement, and threatening that “if Armenia insists on customs points to control the movement of goods and people over the Zangazur Corridor, then Azerbaijan will insist on the same conditions in the Lachin corridor”. In response to this, Armenia’s Prime Minister Pashinyan said that “Azerbaijan is trying to take the process of unblocking the regional connections to a deadlock” and that “the parallels made to the Lachin corridor do not have even the slightest connection to discussions and announcements signed to this date, and are unacceptable to Armenia.”

Negotiations are continuing.

The end of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war also came with promises to upgrade older Soviet era railway lines that bisect the region. During 2021 trilateral peace talks held between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, Armenia expressed willingness to participate in rebuilding the Soviet-era railway links historically connecting Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan, which Azerbaijan interpreted as Armenian consent to the Zangazur corridor. According to Russia, the third party, what is being discussed is unblocking regional communications, and not creating a “corridor” – a term unacceptable to Armenia as it implies part or all of Armenia’s Syunik Province are part of Azerbaijan. Diplomatic word-play will be needed on all sides to reach a compromise.

The Zangazur Corridor would serve as a regional hub in uniting the North-South, East-West, South-West transport corridors, and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Routes, all of which feed through Baku from either Armenia, Turkyie, Iran and Russia through to the INSTC, and either to India and South Asia via Iran’s Chabahar port, or the Middle Corridor route east to China via Kazakhstan.

With the EU also approaching Azerbaijan for increased gas supplies, the route would also provide additional EU options for gas pipelines and freight as it struggles to find Russian alternatives.

Azerbaijan has been actively involved in the process of developing intra-continental cargo transportation, and especially against the backdrop of events in Ukraine, as traditional routes have become blocked, and countries are looking for new opportunities to implement the supply chains.

Azeri justifications for the corridor come via expanding the national transport network in Azerbaijan, with increasing numbers of participants showing interest, in particular, the European Union, China and India as Azerbaijan becomes better integrated into the Eurasian economy between East and West.

Azerbaijan has built a pipeline infrastructure for transportation of oil and gas, and a railway through Georgia to Türkiye which can be used to reach the EU Black Sea Ports in Bulgaria and Romania, and has also been building infrastructure in advance of any agreements to develop connectivity, including roads, bridges, and tunnels.

Azerbaijan also plans to export hydrocarbons, ‘green’ electricity and internet services to the EU, and the country wants the Zangazur corridor to be integrated into other corridors passing through the country – to the INSTC and Middle corridors. How this is managed may depend today given the new 2022 geopolitical situation on how much the EU is prepared to pay in one way or another for Armenia’s assent.

 

After Azerbaijan war, Armenia taps India for military hardware

Emil Lazarian

India –


 

Recently in June, a defence delegation from the Republic of Armenia visited India, meeting with their counterparts here.

NEW DELHI: Recently in June, a defence delegation from the Republic of Armenia visited India, meeting with their counterparts here. The delegation came armed with a shopping list. While little is known about its contents, drones have been confirmed to have figured prominently on the list. But not drones alone, an official confirmed without going into any further details. This is not the first time that Armenia has evinced interest in Indian military hardware. In 2020, it concluded a deal with India worth 40 million for the supply of four indigenously built weapon-locating radars. The SWATHI radars have been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

Since then, Armenia’s defence requirement has grown exponentially. “The Karabakh war made us rethink our defence needs,” said an Armenian official who did not want to be named. The war referred to the one the tiny South Caucasian nation fought with Azerbaijan over the contested territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. For twenty years the Armenians had held the ethnic Armenian enclave which technically formed part of Azerbaijan, as a result of the controversial borders drawn up during the erstwhile Soviet Union where the exercise was primarily based on keeping individual republics dependent on Moscow.

However, in 2020 Armenia lost all the territory to Azerbaijan, including the corridor that connected Armenia to the enclave. Though a member of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaties Organization (CSTO), Russia refused to intervene in the war since it considered Nagorno-Karabakh to technically not be ‘Armenian territory’. Russian defence equipment also proved not to be a match for the Turkish equipment that was deployed, especially Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones. Turkish military counsellors and arms won the war for Azerbaijan. “Russia intervened only when it felt Turkey would become a permanent presence in the region,” said the official bitterly. The result – was a Russian peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh. But the war also showed the limits of Western support and help for Armenia, as well as the limits of Armenian soft power – primarily its diaspora abroad, which is a source of pride for many Armenians. Armenia, even as located in a hostile neighbourhood, remains dependent on Russia. And Russia now remains focused on Ukraine.

The war has also isolated Armenia in other ways, by way of few foreign investments, and the decline in trade and commerce, exacerbated by the pandemic. Cash-strapped Armenia has been unable to modernize its industrial base or step up its R and D. Armenian analysts bemoan the fact that the country has been unable to take advantage of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and coveted Chinese investments seemed to have bypassed the tiny country even as rivals Azerbaijan and Turkey have apparently benefitted. It is another matter that along with investments Armenia has also escaped the famous Chinese debt trap unlike similarly cash-strapped Tajikistan, for instance. But its bilateral trade with China amounting to $873 USD is heavily tilted in favour of the latter. It would also be interesting to know how Armenian analysts view events in Sri Lanka.

This makes the situation very favourable for India. India’s ties with Armenia are civilizational, thanks to its diaspora, Armenia and India continue to share a unique bond. High-profile visits have characterized bilateral relations, and new life was breathed into the relationship beginning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Armenian President Nikol Pashashian in New York in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. India sees Armenia not only as a friend but as a good counterweight to Turkey whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been particularly belligerent on the Kashmir issue and followed a number of policies inimical to India, as well as to Azerbaijan, closely allied with Turkey and Pakistan. 

Armenia is strategically located bordering Russia, Iran, and Turkey. It is a significant part of multimodal trade routes. The Armenian North-South Road Corridor is being developed to connect the Black Sea ports through the territory of Armenia and Georgia and further to Europe. 

The implementation of the Project is expected to improve Europe – Caucasus – Asia road communication at the intersection of West Asia and East Europe. During his visit to Yerevan last year in October, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar pledged his support for the corridor. Earlier in 2021, Armenia was included in the virtual conference to commemorate the Chabahar Port. Is North-South Corridor easily connects to the International North-South Transport Corridor that India is involved in together with Russia and Iran. The first freight recently arrived through the INSTC from Russia to India. The Armenian Road Corridor becomes a natural part of the INSTC, which India has pitched for further linking to the Chabahar Port which it is helping develop.

This offers a valuable option to the BRI. India must therefore seize the opportunity to direct investments to the country, which will help to both develop the corridor, currently being funded by amongst others the Asian Development Bank, as well as resuscitate Armenia’s flailing economy. While China’s Confucius Institutes have made inroads and become quickly popular with Armenians, Indian soft power through Bollywood, Indian cuisine, and the centuries-old Armenian diaspora in India have an edge. But it needs to be backed up by equally strong investments and trade. Current bilateral trade between India and Armenia hovers around a paltry $ 234 million. Of this Armenia enjoys a balance of trade but its main exports are minerals and metals. It is seeking to set up its manufacturing base and Indian companies and entrepreneurs with enormous experience can help in this. 

Together with defence, trade, and investments, Armenia can become a strategically significant partner for India, where India can set up bases and a commercial and defence hub for joint manufacture and Indian exports beyond. Located in Russia’s sphere of influence, this is an additional advantage for India. Any Indian bases there should not be irksome to Russia, even as it offers an alternative to Armenia and will preempt China’s expanding footprint. (IANS)


Armenia commissioner for diaspora speaks against law initiative by National Security Service

Emil Lazarian
NEWS.am
Armenia –
15:11, 21.07.2022

We have two components. One of them addresses the matter of compatriots’ repatriation. This was announced by Zareh Sinanyan, the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of Armenia, during the press briefing after Thursday’s Cabinet meeting of the government—and commenting on the law initiative proposed by the National Security Service, according to which, the procedure for granting Armenian citizenship to Diaspora Armenians will be tightened.

According to the official, however, the aforesaid will in no way affect the repatriation of Diaspora Armenians.

Sinanyan noted that those Diaspora Armenians who have not been in Armenia for at least 60 days within two years can come to the country, spend those 60 days, then apply for Armenian citizenship.

“It is another thing that this change is not positive in terms of relations with the [Armenian] diaspora in general. Our department is against the aforementioned change,” Sinanyan concluded.

Turkish press: Türkiye says it did not carry out any attack against civilians in Iraq

Emil Lazarian
Anadolu Agency stafft   |21.07.2022


ANKARA

Türkiye did not carry out any attack against civilians in northern Iraq’s Duhok province, the country’s foreign minister said on Thursday.

“According to information we received from the Turkish Armed Forces, we did not carry out any attack on civilians,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a live interview with national broadcaster TRT Haber.

Cavusoglu’s remarks came a day after an attack in Duhok’s Zakho district killed eight people.

In a statement released after Wednesday’s attack, the Turkish Foreign Ministry called on Iraqi government officials not to make statements on the Duhok attack “under the influence of rhetoric and propaganda” of the PKK terrorist organization.

Turkish security sources also denied reports “in support of the terrorist organization PKK,” which claimed the civilians lost their lives due to shelling by Turkish forces.

Cavusoglu pledged that Türkiye would “cooperate with the Iraqi authorities after the treacherous attack that we believe was carried out by terrorist groups.”

He added that Türkiye rejects both official and unofficial statements seeking to link it to the attack.

The PKK’s propaganda in Iraq comes at a time when Türkiye is set to launch a new operation against the terror group’s offshoot the YPG/PKK in northern Syria, across the Turkish border, said Cavusoglu, urging Iraqi authorities must not fall into the trap of terrorist groups.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the European Union, and the US, and is responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the terrorist PKK’s Syrian branch.

Türkiye, said Cavusoglu, will continue its fight against terrorism in line with international law, only targeting terrorist groups.

“The whole world knows that Türkiye has never carried out an attack on civilians. We continue our fight against terrorism in accordance with international law,” he added.

Denying allegations that protesters entered the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad after the attack, Cavusoglu said: “Entering our embassy is out of the question. Iraqi authorities have taken the necessary security measures everywhere. We thank them too. In front of some of our visa offices, a group of rabble-rousers burned our flag. Apart from that, there was a demonstration in front of our old embassy, and then they dispersed.”

Finland, Sweden’s NATO bids

Cavusoglu said officials from Türkiye, Finland, and Sweden will meet in August to evaluate the progress made in fulfilling Ankara’s counter-terrorism demands from the Nordic countries paving the way for NATO membership.

He said the meeting in August would be the first of a monitoring committee formed under a deal signed last month. He added that Türkiye would block their membership bids if Stockholm and Helsinki fail to keep their promises.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join the transatlantic alliance in June, a decision spurred by Russia’s war on Ukraine.

But Türkiye, a NATO member for 70 years, voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting terror groups.

A trilateral agreement signed among the countries in June stipulates that Finland and Sweden will not provide support to the YPG/PYD, the PKK’s Syrian offshoot, nor to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye, and said Ankara extends full support to Finland and Sweden against threats to their national security.

‘Our hands won’t be tied’ on F-16s

On US legislation designed to restrict the circumstances of F-16 sales to Türkiye, Cavusoglu said: “Of course, we made an attempt to buy the F-16s from the US, but we cannot agree to a method that will tie our hands.”

The US House of Representatives last week approved legislation that would create a new hurdle for US President Joe Biden’s plan to sell F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye.

The amendment prohibits the sale or transfer of F-16s and modernization kits to Ankara unless the president certifies the transfer is in the US’ national interests, and guarantees to Congress that in the 120 days prior to the transfer, the Turkish government has not “violated the sovereignty of Greece, including through territorial overflights.”

Congress must approve the sales for them to go forward.

“What do you mean by Greek airspace?” Cavusoglu asked, saying that there are Aegean islands which Greece unfairly claims as its own.

He called on the US to follow a balanced policy between Türkiye and Greece.

Ukrainian grain exports

Cavusoglu said the talks between Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine and the UN on facilitating Ukrainian grain exports are “going well so far.”

“We’re making sincere efforts to reach an agreement, both on the cease-fire (in the Ukraine war) and the removal of obstacles to grain exports,” he said, adding he is hopeful about reaching a deal.

Last week, Türkiye hosted officials from Russia, Ukraine and the UN in Istanbul to facilitate Ukrainian grain exports. Ankara said a general agreement was reached, and it hopes to put this into written one this week.

Normalization process with Armenia

On the ongoing normalization process with neighboring Armenia, Cavusoglu said Türkiye expects concrete steps.

“We want to see in practice how sincere Armenia is. So far there are messages, there are explanations. There’s also pressure, it’s true. The (Armenian) diaspora from the outside, fanatic groups from inside. But when we come to concrete steps, we haven’t seen those concrete steps from Armenia yet,” he said.

He added that Türkiye wants to see steps from the Armenian administration under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“The steps to be taken in the region are in everyone’s interests,” he added.

Ankara and Yerevan last December appointed special representatives for talks on normalizing the ties, with the first meeting held in Moscow on Jan. 14. The parties have held four meetings so far.

As part of normalization efforts, this February Türkiye and Armenia resumed commercial flights after a two-year hiatus.