Secretary Pompeo Addresses Artsakh War, Criticizes Azerbaijan and Turkey

WASHINGTON, DC – In a State Department press briefing on Oct. 15, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the situation in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) stating that they are hopeful the Armenians in Artsakh will be able to defend themselves against the attacks from Azerbaijan, acknowledging Turkey’s involvement in the war.

“You watch what’s taking place in Azerbaijan and Armenia today.  It is dangerous,” Pompeo remarked. “We now have the Turks, who have stepped in and provided resources to Azerbaijan, increasing the risk, increasing the firepower that’s taking place in this historic fight over this place called Nagorno-Karabakh, a small territory with about 150,000 people … it’s a longstanding conflict,” he added.

“The resolution of that conflict ought to be done through negotiation and peaceful discussions, not through armed conflict, and certainly not with third party countries coming in to lend their firepower to what is already a powder keg of a situation.  We’re hopeful that the Armenians will be able to defend against what the Azerbaijanis are doing, and that they will all, before that takes place, get the ceasefire right, and then sit down at the table and try and sort through this – that is – what is a truly historic and complicated problem set.”

The Armenian Council of America (ACA) urges the Trump Administration to formally intervene and hold Turkey, a NATO ally, accountable for their illegal participation in the war aiding Azerbaijan, recruiting terrorist mercenaries for the Azeri military and blocking Turkey’s airspace for humanitarian aid to Armenia and Artsakh. Furthermore, the Trump Administration, increasing the military aid by 25 percent to Azerbaijan, is morally responsible for ending Azerbaijan’s war crimes and merciless attacks on Armenian civilians with indiscriminate, non-stop shelling of cluster munitions since late September.

“We welcome Secretary Pompeo’s accurate assessment of the current aggression aimed at Armenians in Artsakh and Armenia by Azerbaijan and Turkey,” said ACA Chairman Sevak Khatchadorian. “Words of encouragement are uplifting, however, the situation in Artsakh right now is dire and the people there need tangible solutions and immediate action.  The US government should intervene and stop these two regimes from further destruction of Artsakh and its resilient people,” added Khatchadorian.

The Trump Administration has not issued any formal statements regarding the conflict in spite of countless appeals from the Armenian American communities all across the United States.