Armenia-Azerbaijan clash: NATO chief calls for ceasefire amid surging fatalities

As the death toll from Azerbaijan-Armenia clash near 250, NATO Secretary-General, on October 5, called for a ceasefire in the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Commenting on escalating hostilities between the two erstwhile Soviet states, Jens Stoltenberg asserted that he was “deeply concerned” about the situation. In addition, he called upon Turkey to use it’s “considerable” influence over Azerbaijan to calm the situation.

Read: Armenia Says Azerbaijan Targeted Stepanakert

NATO states call for a ceasefire

France, Russia and the US have already called for an immediate ceasefire between ethnic Armenian forces and Azerbaijan in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has opposed the involvement of the west in the clash. Addressing the Turkish Parliament, Erdogan asserted that the US, Russia and France had “neglected the problem” for nearly 30 years and it was “unacceptable” that they are now involved in a search for a ceasefire. 

Read: Chile Armenians Protest Outside Azerbaijan Embassy

The current situation has prompted fear in many experts who opine that the clash could possibly escalate into a regional war with Turkey backing Islamic Azerbaijan and NATO states supporting majorly Christian Armenia. In the latest development,  the Azerbaijan defence ministry claimed that that Armenian forces shelled multiple towns, including Ganja, Terter, Beylagan and Barda.

Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict 

The two former Soviet states are in an armed stand-off for years over the Nagorno-Karabakh, a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, and heavy clashes re-erupted on September 27, prompting fears of an all-out war. The new fight is considered to be the heaviest in decades. Hundreds of people have been killed in the past week, including over 40 civilians. The fight between the two countries has raised international concern about stability in the South Caucasus, where pipelines carry Azeri oil and gas to world markets. 

With fears of the clashes expanding into an all-out, multi-front war, there is a possibility that the fighting could also be stuck in regional powers Turkey and Russia. While Ankara is Azerbaijan’s strongest supporter, Moscow, on the other hand, has a military base in Armenia. Earlier, Armenia even accused Turkey of supplying fighters to the conflict, drawing them out of northern-Syria.

Read: Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: Russia, Armenia Discuss Situation Amid Tensions Over Phone

Read: Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict: Turkish President Opposes Foreign Interference

Image credits: AP