Turkey and Pakistan exporting jihadists to fight Armenia: Experts

The Turkish government is supporting jihadist groups along with Pakistan to fight proxy wars in Syria, Libya and now Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan are involved in a tussle for the control of region Nagorno Karabakh which is extrapolated and inflamed by the actions of Turkey and Pakistan.

"Long lost are the days of Ataturk’s Turkey which used to attack jihadi groups and kept them at bay. The secular credentials of Turkey have been compromised," said Abdullah Bozkurt, Sweden based Investigative Journalist, Turkey expert and Director, Nordic Monitoring and Research Network.

He spoke on "Armenia- Azerbaijan conflict and the role of Turkey and Pakistan in provoking religious warfare in the Caucasus" hosted by the Usanas Foundation. Ararat Kostanian, formerly at Armenian foreign ministry said that there is a grand plan of Erdogan to subdue Armenia. This has happened as big powers like the European Union shied away in criticizing Turkey’s policies. By supporting Azerbaijan, Turkey wants to claim the Islamic leadership.

Pakistan also has been hostile to Armenia and does not recognize it as a state. As a result, it is exporting jihadists to fight Armenia like mercenaries. Pakistan has mastered these techniques of cross border terrorism and promoted global jihad through decades and under no circumstances is going to stop.

Egyptian journalist and Counter-Terrorism Analyst Hany Ghoraba pointed out the hidden agenda of Erdogan which he successfully closeted in from European powers and the Middle East. He has become the ‘sick man’ of Europe and lost friends all over. With his taking up the Uighur issue in china or desire to mediate in Kashmir conflict, there is a desperate attempt to proclaim the leadership of Islam. Domestically he tries to own the fundamentalist baton by turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque again giving free hand to right-wing revivalists in the country. Thus, creating an ecosystem which would consolidate his old dream of being Caliph.

Former Indian Envoy to Libya, Malta and Jordan Anil Trigunayat suggested that India take a cautious approach. India has excellent relations with Armenia and good trade if not political relations with Azerbaijan. Armenia has great cultural links with India in forms of Armenian Christians living in India.

On the other hand, Azerbaijan has always supported Pakistan in UN and other international institutions. But India believes in the dialogue process and a dialogue process already exists between these two nations which India sees as part of the solution. Closing remarks were given by CEO of Usanas Foundation Abhinav Pandya who criticized Pakistan for promoting global jihad and crossborder terrorism despite being constantly unable to control its own polity.