Turkey, Pakistan join hands to export jihadists to fight Armenia, say experts

Fighting is going on between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the  Caucasus region.

Both the nations are former Soviet Union republics.

At the heart of the decades-old conflict is the Nagorno-Karabakh region. It is recognised as part of Azerbaijan, but it is controlled by ethnic Armenians, reports BBC.

Meanwhile, speaking on the Turkish role played in the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, Abdullah Bozkurt, Sweden based Investigative Journalist, Turkey expert and Director, Nordic Monitoring and Research Network was quoted as saying by Zee News: "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."

He made the comments while speaking in webinar titled "Armenia- Azerbaijan conflict and the role of Turkey and Pakistan in provoking religious warfare in the Caucasus", hosted by think-tank Usanas Foundation.

Ararat Kostanian, formerly at Armenian foreign ministry said that there is a grand plan of Erdogan to subdue Armenia, reports the Indian news channel.

Pakistan has remained hostile towards Armenia.

Islamabad reportedly does not recognise 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, reports Zee News.

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, Ghoraba said.

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, he said.

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, reports Zee News.