Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Armenia ready for compromise with Azerbaijan, not terrorists – PM Pashinyan

Kalantarian Kevo

Armenia ready for compromise with Azerbaijan, not terrorists  – PM Pashinyan

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 22:03,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, ARMENPRESS. When military operations are underway, it’s not proper to discuss issues about concessions, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan said in an interview with Interfax, answering the question what kind of concessions Armenia is ready for and can it be about surrendering the 7 Azerbaijani regions or withdrawing troops from those regions.

‘’The self defense units of Nagorno Karabakh are right now in the trenches and right now the terrorist groups that have been sent to Azerbaijan by Turkey are attacking the self-defense units of Nagorno Karabakh. Can you realize the situation of those who are right now struggling? By the way, not against Azerbaijan, not the Azerbaijani army, but terrorists. And can you imagine their reaction if I now say that yes, we are ready for mutual concessions with terrorists? I said we are ready for mutual concessions with Azerbaijan’’, the PM said.

Nikol Pashinyan added that the issue of the status of Nagorno Karabakh is fundamental for the Armenian side. ‘’But now all this process has gone beyond the context of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The first thing we have to do is returning the process to the negotiation context of Nagorno Karabah issue. The presence of the terrorists will lead not only our region to concrete consequences, but also for the countries near the region. Unfortunately, though the regional countries have officially admitted the presence of terrorist groups in Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, they have not initiated any anti-terrorism measures so far. This is the main point, the main obstacle that prevents the diplomatic solution.

First, it’s necessary to solve the issue of the terrorists, because if they succeed here, they will go north and south, because it’s their professional job, to terrorize, destabilize, and there is no great difference for them where they will do that’’, the PM said.

Asbarez: Bishop Torkom Donoyan Unanimously Elected New Western Prelate

Kalantarian Kevo

October 19,  2020



Bishop Torkom Donoyan is the new Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Western U.S.

  • “Working for Armenia and Artsakh is my highest duty.”
  • “Serving the Armenian Church and people through the Holy Sea of Cilicia, is the reason for my existence.”
  • “Instilling the Christian faith in the lives of the youth, through the Western Prelacy is the focus of my mission.”
  • “Spreading the Gospel is my heavenly purpose.”

The 48th National Representatives Assembly of the Western Prelacy took place on Friday, October 16 at the “Avedissian” Hall in Encino. During the second session of the meeting, the representatives unanimously elected Bishop Torkom Donoyan, Vicar General, as the new prelate of the Western Prelacy. Donoyan succeeds Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, who served as prelate for the past 25 years.

Immediately following the announcement of the election, the newly elected prelate was greeted with a standing ovation as he entered the hall. The clergy formed a procession, and with the singing of “Ourakh Ler” and “Hrashapar,” they guided the newly-elected prelate Bishop into Holy Marty’s Church to say the “Canonical Prayer.”

Following the “Canonical Prayer,” Donoyan received the prelate’s staff from his predecessor and delivered his first message to representatives and clergy members.

The prelate stated, “Prayer is fundamental in strengthening the spirit, enlightening the mind, having a healthy body and is a daily presence in my life. That is why, today, I pray with a deeper conviction that God will give me strength, as I am elected the prelate of the Western Prelacy by His blessing and your votes. I believe and trust the words of the psalmist; “Lord I put my trust in You, do not forsake those who seek You.” (Psalm 9:10.)

“With sincerity and a deep gratitude, I greet His Holiness Aram I. Catholicos of the Great See of Cilicia, whose educational leadership I have gained throughout my tenure at the seminary. I pray and wish that God grants H.H. Aram I, Catholicos, a healthy and long life, so that he may continue to lead his flock to greener pastures and calmer waters,” added the new prelate.

Continuing his remarks, the prelate thanked Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian for his lengthy, keen and high esteemed service to the prelacy.

“He became a good example of diligence, hard work, consistency and endurance. Through his service and experiences, he became great, and like many others, I have learned a great deal from Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian. I believe that his greatness will continue in the coming years as well, and wished him a healthy and peaceful life,” added Donoyan.

He continued his message to the representatives, saying: “Thank you for your trust and by a unanimous vote, you have placed a heavy yet sweet burden of responsibility on my shoulders, which I trust that we will carry together: by the leverage of our clergy members and the unreserved partnership of the Executive Council. With the spirit of renewed faith, hope, unfaltering love, let us come together, unite and work towards a better and brighter future for our church and youth.”

Speaking about the war in Artsakh, the prelate reconfirmed that “Armenia and Artsakh remain the main focus in the lives, deeds and prayers of each Armenian. War cannot shake the faith of an Armenian, and the prime example is the current war in Artsakh. Hence, that is why I work even stronger for the Armenian and Artsakh cause.”

The prelate expressed and emphasized the importance of service to the people and the Church. “Each clergy member is a servant of God and His people. He finds greatness through his service. I have learned the importance of service at the seminary. With the spirit of service, I place my being on the altar of God, to serve Him and His people. That is the reason why serving the Armenian Church and people through the Holy Sea of Cilicia, is the reason for my existence.” stated the prelate.

Also, realizing the importance of our youth’s upbringing, the prelate stated that throughout the last decades within the prelacy, there have been many initiatives which have been implemented to foster the spiritual care of our youth, such as; Prelacy day schools, Sunday schools and Bible studies. Today, more than ever, our youth should be our utmost priority within our communities. Hence, “Instilling Christian faith in the lives of the youth, through the western prelacy is the focus of my mission.”

With regards to the importance of spreading the Christian faith throughout our lives, the prelate confirmed this thought by saying; “I am a messenger of God’s word. Before all things, I am called to be a soldier of God through my service and spreading the living word of God to His people. Also, in contrast with the prior statement, I consider one of my most important tasks is to prepare and aid in the spiritual maturity of the church’s servants and Sunday school teachers. Therefore, spreading the Gospel is my heavenly purpose.”

The newly elected prelate also wished for the end of all wars, and for peace to reign throughout the world. Also, appealing for God to heal all those who are in pain and are weary, for the production of the Corona virus vaccine and for all types of trials and tribulations to be resolved in peace.

In conclusion, Prelate Donoyan appealed that may he be allowed to put forth his youthful enthusiasm and charisma to action, for the sake of the collective “us.”
Following the singing of the “Lord’s Prayer,” the representatives delivered congratulatory remarks to the newly elected prelate and wished him success in his mission to the Prelacy and the Armenian Church.

Bishop Torkom Donoyan was born in 1986, in Beirut, Lebanon. He has received his early education at the “Souren Khanamirian” school. He was accepted to the Holy Sea of Cilicia seminary in 1997, and ordained a celibate priest in 2006. In 2010 he defended his thesis “the anathema within the Armenian Church,” and received the rank of Vartabed.

In 2016, he defended his second thesis “the Armenian Prelacy in Adana,” and received the rank of Dzayrakouyn Vartabed.

From 2006 until 2013, he has been the director of the Christian Education Department in Antelias, Lebanon. From 2010 until 2014, he has been the choir master at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, Lebanon, and has been the choir conductor of both the Catholicosate’s “Shnorhali” and the Seminary’s “Armash” choirs. From 2013 until 2015, he has been the editor of the Catholicosate’s “Hask” monthly newsletter. Also, while conducting the tasks mentioned above, he has also been an educator at the Seminary, Antelias Armenian Studies Center and local schools.

He was the Dean of the Seminary from 2014 to 2016. He has authored many books, pamphlets, articles and has given many speeches to various parishes throughout Lebanon and abroad. He has studied music in Beirut and Yerevan, and received master classes in vocal training in England.

In 2016, he completed comprehensive theological studies, with an emphasis on the rituals and music of the Anglican Church, at St. Michael’s Anglican Seminary in Wales, United Kingdom.

In 2017, by the decision of rchbishop Moushegh Mardirossian and the joint council, he was appointed as Vicar General of the Western Prelacy.

In 2018, he was ordained as a Bishop by Catholicos Aram I.

CivilNet: "This is our last battle, we don’t have right to give up” Says Karabakh President

Kalantarian Kevo
CIVILNET.AM

01:15

Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan has sent the following appeal to Armenians living outside of Armenia.

“Dear Friends,

Today, our homeland needs our protection more than ever before. Firstly, you have no moral right to leave your homes, grandfathers’ graves, and your children’s future unprotected. If any of you believe that you can find a dignified life, that you can live and create safely outside of Artsakh [Karabakh], you are sorely mistaken.

We have historically had a unique opportunity to have a free and independent state, for which we have already paid a high price once before. This is our last battle, where we have no right to give up, where desertion means betrayal. This is our land. We cannot let the enemy in and allow him to desecrate our sanctities.

Thus, I address you as proud citizens who have kept the dignity of the Armenian people high, as true patriots. Hurry to join your brothers who stand firm on their native land. Who, by standing at the frontline, by baking bread, by driving, are making our borders stronger.

Come back before it’s too late, because your actions will be assessed by the people and by history. Instead of cursing, choose the path of blessing.

Artsakh is awaiting you all.” – Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan

Artsakh’s Defense Ministry publishes new list of military casualties

Kalantarian Kevo

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 21:45,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 14, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Artsakh has published a new list of servicemen killed in action. ARMENPRESS reports 23 names are included in the list.

In total, the Armenian side has reported 555 military casualties. Azerbaijan keeps number of casualties secret, but according to the estimates of the Armenian side, they have nearly 5500 casualties, including regular army servicemen and terrorists.

Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan

TURKISH press: Azerbaijan ready return to talks with Armenia when acute phase of conflict ends: Aliyev

Kalantarian Kevo
 ISTANBUL POLITICS 
OCT 07, 2020 3:01 PM GMT+3
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev gives a televised speech in Baku on Sept. 27, 2020 (Azerbaijani Presidency Handout via AA)

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Wednesday that his country would return to talks with Armenia after the acute phase of military conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh region ends, Russian news agency TASS cited him as saying.

Aliyev, who spoke to Russian President Putin by phone, said in an interview with Russian state television that Turkey had the right to participate in mediation.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter stalemate over the Nagorno-Karabakh region since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The fiercest clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in years, over the occupied region, ignited Sunday. As of Thursday, at least 130 deaths have been confirmed as fighting spilled over into the fifth day.

Four U.N. Security Council (UNSC) and two U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions, as well as many international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the occupying Armenian forces from Nagorno-Karabakh.

The OSCE Minsk Group – co-chaired by France, Russia and the United States – was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict but to no avail.

Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as Azerbaijani territory by the U.N. and virtually every government in the world except Armenia.

Artsakh’s military regains control over previously lost height amid Azeri attacks

Kalantarian Kevo

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 11:44, 7 October, 2020

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. An Artsakhi special operations force, together with servicemen from the Volunteer Movement detachment, have organized a counterattack in the northern direction and returned a height called “Varangatagh” (Lulusaz) which was previously attacked and captured by Azeri forces, the Defense Ministry of Artsakh said.

“As reported earlier, the Defense Army units continued delivering devastating counterstrikes upon the adversary throughout yesterday, significantly improving positions,” the Defense Ministry of Artsakh said.

“The combat operations at the Artsakh-Azerbaijan conflict zone continue at this moment.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Canada suspending arms exports to Turkey amid Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict

Kalantarian Kevo
Al Monitor
Oct 5 2020

Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said he is suspending the permits pending an investigation.


Canada has halted arms exports to Turkey while it investigates whether the drone technology was improperly used by Azerbaijan’s forces during ongoing clashes with Armenia, the Canadian foreign minister said Monday.

“In line with Canada’s robust export control regime and due to the ongoing hostilities, I have suspended the relevant export permits to Turkey so as to allow time to further assess the situation,” Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in the worst outbreak of violence the South Caucasus region has witnessed in years. Hundreds have died during clashes this past week in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, which is officially part of Azerbaijan but run by ethnic Armenians backed by Yerevan. Turkey is backing Azerbaijan in the conflict.

Last week, video analysis from Project Ploughshares, a Canada-based arms control group, appeared to indicate that drones used by Azerbaijan had been equipped with imaging and targeting systems developed by the Ontario-based L3Harris Wescam. The Globe and Mail newspaper reported that Wescam was granted permission this year to supply Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar with seven systems.

The Ploughshares report alleged that “Canada’s export of WESCAM sensors to Turkey poses a substantial risk of facilitating human suffering, including violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.”

Canada last froze new export permits to Ankara in October 2019 following the Turkish military campaign against Syrian Kurdish forces, but the suspension was lifted in May.

“Canada continues to be concerned by the ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting in shelling of communities and civilian casualties,” Champagne said. “We call for measures to be taken immediately to stabilize the situation on the ground and reiterate that there is no alternative to a peaceful, negotiated solution to this conflict.”

Last week, Armenia recalled its ambassador to Israel, citing Israeli weapons sales to rival Azerbaijan. On Monday, Amnesty International said it had verified the use of Israeli-made cluster munitions by Azerbaijani forces.

This story contains reporting from Agence France-Presse.


RFE/RL Armenian Report – 10/03/2020

Kalantarian Kevo 
                                        Saturday, October 3, 2020
Armenia Demands Turkey’s ‘Removal From South Caucasus’
October 03, 2020
NAGORNO-KARABAKH -- A house, which locals said was damaged during a recent 
shelling by Azeri forces, October 1, 2020
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has demanded the withdrawal of Turkish 
military personnel and Middle Eastern “terrorists” from Azerbaijan, saying that 
is essential for stopping fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.
“Turkey’s military personnel and the Turkish armed forces are directly engaged 
in the hostilities,” he told the Canadian daily Globe and Mail in an interview 
published late on Friday. “Turkey’s NATO allies must explain why these F-16 jets 
are shelling towns and villages in Nagorno-Karabakh and killing civilian 
populations.”
Pashinian also stood by Armenian claims that Ankara recruited Turkish-backed 
Islamist fighters in Syria and sent them to fight in Karabakh on the Azerbaijani 
side.
“A ceasefire can be established only if Turkey is removed from the South 
Caucasus,” he added.
Ankara maintains that Turkish warplanes, attack drones and military are not 
involved in the hostilities that broke out on September 27. It also denies 
deploying Syrian mercenaries in Azerbaijan. Baku denies that too.
France has also alleged such deployment, with President Emmanuel Macron saying 
that at least 300 “Syrian fighters from jihadist groups” were flown from Turkey 
to Azerbaijan ahead of the flare-up of violence in Karabakh. "I urge all NATO 
partners to face up to the behavior of a NATO member,” Macron said on Friday.
Russia has also accused, albeit implicitly, Ankara of sending “terrorists and 
mercenaries” to the conflict zone. It has demanded their “immediate withdrawal 
from the region.”
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reacted cautiously to Macron’s claims backed 
up by Western media reports. “I hope it’s not the case,” Pompeo told reporters 
on Friday.
“We saw Syrian fighters taken from the battlefields in Syria to Libya,” he said. 
“That created more instability, more turbulence, more conflict, more fighting, 
less peace. I think it would do the same thing in the conflict in and around 
Nagorno-Karabakh as well. So I hope that reporting proves inaccurate.”
Commenting on Turkish involvement in the Armenian-Azerbaijani dispute, Pompeo 
said Washington disapproves of “third parties bringing ammunitions, weapon 
systems, even just advisors and allies” to the conflict zone.
AZERBAIJAN -- A house that was allegedly damaged by recent shelling during the 
fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh is seen in the Agdam district, October 1, 
2020.
The United States, Russia and France have long been leading international 
efforts to broker an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal in their capacity as 
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. The presidents of the three mediating powers 
called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities” in a joint statement on 
Thursday. They also urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to “commit without delay to 
resuming substantive negotiations.”
Yerevan welcomed the statement, saying it is willing to engage in peace talks 
mediated by the Minsk Group co-chairs.
By contrast, Baku effectively rejected the mediators’ appeal. “In order to stop 
the violence Armenia must withdraw its troops from Nagorno-Karabakh,” said a 
senior aide to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan likewise said the mediators should 
instead “demand that the Armenians pull their troops out of Azerbaijan.” He 
condemned their long-running peace efforts as a gross failure.
In an interview with Al Jazeera aired on Saturday, Aliyev said the U.S., Russia 
and France should “continue working together on settling the Nagorno-Karabakh 
conflict” provided that they “remain neutral.” In an apparent reference to 
France, he said statements made by some of the co-chair countries in recent days 
indicate a pro-Armenian bias.
Incidentally, Macron spoke with Aliyev and Pashinian separately on the phone 
late on Friday. The French president said in a statement that he proposed a new 
method to restart talks within the Minsk Group format. He did not elaborate.
Pashinian too was interviewed by Al Jazeera on Saturday. He told the 
international TV network that renewed peace talks with Baku are conditional on 
an end to what he described as Azerbaijan’s “aggression” against Karabakh.
“I can say with confidence that the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will not 
retreat in the face of the aggression,” the Armenian premier said as large-scale 
hostilities continued along the Armenian-Azerbaijani “line of contact” around 
Karabakh. He further made clear that Armenia will remain the “guarantor” of the 
disputed territory’s independence.
Armenians Urged To Fight On As War In Karabakh Continues
October 03, 2020
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian addresses the nation, October 3, 2020.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian praised the Armenian military and urged his 
nation to help it defeat Azerbaijan as fierce battles continued around 
Nagorno-Karabakh for a seventh day on Saturday.
Pashinian said that Baku has failed to “solve any strategic issue” with its 
“unprecedented” offensive launched on September 27.
“Victory and only victory is the outcome which we imagine at the end of this 
fight,” Pashinian declared in a live televised address. “Already today, hours 
ago, the Defense Army of Artsakh (Karabakh) carried out active counteroffensive 
operations and achieved substantial successes, crushing several units of the 
enemy’s special forces.”
“Through joint efforts we must break the attacking enemy’s spine so that it 
never again stretches its criminal hands towards,” he said.
Pashinian charged that Azerbaijan wants to not only regain control over Karabakh 
but also exterminate its ethnic Armenian population. “We are probably living 
through the most decisive phase of our millennia-old history,” he said.
Karabakh’s Armenian-backed army reported in the morning that Azerbaijani forces 
went on a fresh offensive at northern and southern sections of the “line of 
contact” around Karabakh, the epicenters of the week-long hostilities. It also 
accused them of again shelling the capital Stepanakert.
The Defense Army claimed to have killed hundreds of Azerbaijani soldiers, 
destroyed dozens of tanks and armored vehicles and shot down three warplanes in 
the following hours.
Shushan Stepanian, a spokeswoman for Armenia’s Defense Ministry, said early in 
the afternoon that Karabakh troops have repelled the “large-scale” offensive and 
launched a “counteroffensive in one of the directions.” She did not give details.
In another statement issued at around 6 p.m., the Karabakh Armenian army said 
its frontline troops are “successfully accomplishing combat tasks set for them.” 
The statement came shortly after Pashinian’s televised speech.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in the morning that “fierce fighting is 
continuing along the entire frontline.” The ministry said its forces are dealing 
“crushing blows” to the enemy.
The Karabakh army also reported on Saturday 51 more combat deaths within its 
ranks. The total number of Armenian soldiers killed in action since September 27 
thus rose to 201.
The Azerbaijani military has still not released any combat casualty numbers.
The hostilities continued unabated despite international efforts to restore the 
ceasefire regime in the Karabakh conflict zone and pave the way for renewed 
peace negotiations.
In an interview with Al Jazeera aired on Saturday, Azerbaijani President Ilham 
Aliyev blamed Pashinian for the collapse earlier this year of 
Armenian-Azerbaijani talks mediated by the United States, Russia and France.
Aliyev claimed that Pashinian proved more intransigent than Armenia’s former 
leaders. “We do not yet have a negotiating partner in Armenia,” he said.
Pashinian claimed the opposite, saying that Aliyev was not prepared for “mutual 
concessions” and never reciprocated his repeated statements to the effect that 
that a Karabakh settlement must be “acceptable to the peoples of Armenia, 
Azerbaijan and Karabakh.”
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict offers insight into the new art of war

Kalantarian Kevo
South China Morning Press
Oct 3 2020
Alessandro Arduino

Published: 7:00am, 4 Oct, 2020

As in the 1990s, border skirmishes in 

Nagorno-Karabakh

 between Armenia and Azerbaijan appear to be escalating into full-scale conflict.

The mountainous enclave is part of Azerbaijan but is run by its mostly ethnic Armenian inhabitants. It is not recognised internationally as independent. Following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, war in Nagorno-Karabakh led to the deaths of 30,000 people.

In 2020, there is an important difference. The fighting that broke out over the past week involves the use of foreign armed drones and, allegedly, mercenaries. This increases the potential for the conflict to devolve into a grinding battle as the supply of men and materiel from mercenaries and weapons from other nations will lower the cost to the main combatants.

Turkey

 has already declared its full support for Azerbaijan, while Armenia is part of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). This means the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh represents a possible third indirect front involving Russian and Turkish proxies, after Syria and Libya.

Armenia’s Ministry of Defence has claimed the Azeri military is escalating operations, including the deployment of Turkish combat air support and Syrian mercenaries. Moscow has signalled that it prefers to mediate the conflict instead of joining it but any escalation risks drawing in more regional powers such as 

Iran

 and the United Arab Emirates.

Adding fuel to the fire, the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan have exchanged Twitter barrages that rival their artillery duels in intensity.

The exchanges, heightened by nationalism and foreign states’ sponsored trolling, highlight the prominent role played by social media networks in modern warfare.

Azerbaijan has accused the Armenian military of complete disregard for civilian casualties by employing long-range artillery barrages. Armenian accusations are no less pointed. Both sides have denied such allegations.

In the past, psychological warfare was the domain of loudspeakers and airdropped leaflets. Now it has moved into cyberspace – there is even an Azeri YouTube video featuring crunching heavy metal riffs.

Perhaps appropriately for the genre, the video features rockers performing against a backdrop of helicopters, tanks and mobile missile launchers, which predictably explode into action as the music approaches its climax.

Most worrying, though, is the reported presence of Syrian mercenaries allegedly contracted by Turkey in support of Azerbaijan. There has been no official confirmation but the use of mercenaries appears to be expanding from the 

Middle East

 and North Africa to the Caucasus.

The fear factor associated with the presence of ruthless foreign fighters is not new. The employment of mercenaries known for their combat skills and blatant disrespect of the rules of war permeates history.

For example, the Byzantine army from the 10th to the 14th century included the Varangian Guard: Norsemen from Scandinavia and Kievan Rus fighting with axes and spreading terror in the enemy’s camp by their mere presence.

News of thousands of Syrian mercenaries imposing sharia law has already surfaced online, with the same effect as the Varangian raven banners fluttering on the battlefield.

Moscow has vociferously condemned the alleged use of foreign mercenaries and terrorists in Nagorno-Karabakh, and considers their presence a threat to the entire region. The irony, though, is that 

Russia

 invented this blueprint: Turkey has merely developed its own version of the hybrid warfare battle-tested by Russia in Ukraine and Libya.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, regarded as the mastermind behind President Vladimir Putin’s privatisation of warfare via the Wagner Group, has been emulated by Adnan Tanriverdi, the founder of the Sadat Inc International Defence Consultancy and another specialist in the dark arts.

Tanriverdi, a former brigadier-general in the Turkish armed forces, spearheads President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ambitions for a Turkish private army. However, Tanriverdi has always publicly denied any active involvement by Sadat Inc in the ongoing conflicts.

A damaged military truck in Azerbaijan. Photo: Reuters

Events in Nagorno-Karabakh reflect the fundamental shifts that will characterise warfare for the foreseeable future. We are at an inflection point: hybrid conflicts in Ukraine, Libya, Yemen and Mozambique are clear indications of what is to come.

The demise of the bipolar global order has propelled the rise of private corporations that offer military-style services as part of their core business model. The era of private military and security firms operating out of sight, waging wars on behalf of or over the assets of central governments, has arrived.

Their services differ in terms of price and capabilities but mercenaries all offer one valuable deliverable: public deniability. Using mercenaries is also an efficient way to preserve the lives of national soldiers in well-trained but small armed forces.

If the benign pressure from external powers on Armenia and Azerbaijan does not ease the fighting soon, any negotiations for a quick peace will be derailed.

Many people will be hard-pressed to find Nagorno-Karabakh on a map, much less care about what happens there. But it will be worth paying attention to the fighting to discern several important trends which could spread: the use of private military contractors to fight on a state’s behalf; the sophisticated use of social media to bring nationalist sentiments to a boil; intensifying geopolitical rivalries; and strong men leaders – in this case, Erdogan – who view military muscle as a ticket to a seat at the big table.

Dr Alessandro Arduino is principal research fellow at the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore, specialising in the roles played by private military contractors and technology in modern warfare.



Russia’s Putin tells Armenian PM Pashinyan that all military action in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region should be halted

Kalantarian Kevo
RT – Russia Today
Sept 28 2020
Russia’s Putin tells Armenian PM Pashinyan that all military action in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region should be halted
Vladimir Putin told Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, on Sunday, that all efforts should be undertaken to stop the further escalation of fighting in Yerevan’s dispute with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The Russian president said Moscow was concerned about the sudden eruption of violence and that he believes the immediate goal is to cease hostilities, the Kremlin said in a statement. The phone call between Putin and Pashinyan was made on the latter’s initiative.

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called both his Azeri and Armenian counterparts to express Moscow’s concerns and urge them to step back from the conflict.

Speaking to Putin, Pashinyan stressed that third parties from outside of the region should not get involved in the situation, according to the Armenian side.

Pashinyan himself had earlier rebuked Turkey, a long-time ally of Azerbaijan, for interfering in the situation. Ankara voiced support for Baku in the unfolding stand-off and blamed Yerevan for the violence.

Hostilities between Azerbaijan and the ethnic Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh erupted after Azeri forces launched an offensive on Sunday morning. Baku said it was responding to shelling of its forces, but Yerevan rejected this justification, accusing its opponent of breaking a ceasefire.

The region, where the population is predominantly Armenian, broke away from Azerbaijan in the late 1980s, and relies on military and economic support from Yerevan. Amid the flareup, both Azerbaijan and Armenia imposed martial law and voiced their determination to fight on.

Russia is part of the mediation group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), working to tone down tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia and negotiate a peaceful resolution to their dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh. However, Moscow is also treaty bound to defend Yerevan via the CSTO, an Russian-led alternative to NATO.