Nikol Pashinyan to Le Figaro: The Turkish state, which continues to  deny the past, has once again ventured down a genocidal path

ArmInfo.RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gave an interview to the well-known French newspaper Le Figaro, the press service of the RA PM reports.

Below is the full text of Nikol Pashinyan's interview.

Le Figaro - You are blaming Turkey for providing military support to  Azerbaijan. Do you have any evidence?

Nikol Pashinyan - Yes, we have proof. Russia, France and Iran have  already recognized the involvement of the Turkish army in the  large-scale offensive launched against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) on  September 27.

Top-level Turkish officials have publicly confirmed their support for  Azerbaijan not only in political and diplomatic terms, but also on  the battlefield. They are using Turkish UAVs and F-16s to bomb  civilian facilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The international community, especially the American society, should  be aware that U.S.-made F-16s are being used to kill Armenians in  this conflict. There is evidence that Turkish military commanders are  directly involved in the management of offensive operations. Ankara  has provided Baku with military vehicles, weapons, and military  advisers.

We know that Turkey trained and transported thousands of mercenaries  and terrorists from Turkey- controlled areas in northern Syria. Those  terrorists are fighting against the Armenians today. Many of them did  not even know why Turkey deployed them to Azerbaijan. They realized  that they had been made false promises after arriving in Azerbaijan.

We also know that these terrorists are taking drugs, because syringes  full of narcotics have been discovered in the pockets of their  uniforms - which may explain why about 30 per cent of Azerbaijani  casualties are mercenaries from abroad.

Le Figaro - Do you think that Turkey is responsible for the  escalation?

Nikol Pashinyan - Absolutely. The joint Azerbaijani-Turkish military  drills that started in August have not been completed yet. And the  offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh is actually the next phase of said  exercises.  Having prepared, they made the decision to launch an  offensive, and they must be held responsible for this escalation.

After the unsuccessful July offensive on Armenia's borders,  Azerbaijan appealed to Turkey and it is obvious that Ankara is making  decisions on many key aspects of the situation. They seek to reverse  the regional balance of power in their favor.

Le Figaro - What do you mean?

Nikol Pashinyan - Turkey's wish is to strengthen its role and  influence in the South Caucasus, changing thereby the status quo that  has been in place for over a century. Turkey pursues the goal of  building a sultanate-like empire, and has embarked on a path that may  set the region ablaze.   Le Figaro - Are prepared for a ceasefire?

Nikol Pashinyan - It is up to Turkey and Azerbaijan to stop  hostilities, because they are the ones who launched the offensive and  are now killing Armenians. Nagorno-Karabakh cannot disarm, because  that would lead to genocide. The people who live there are facing an  existential threat.

At this stage, the opposing side shows no intention of stopping the  fighting. I am not even sure that Azerbaijan has any control over  those terrorists fighting on their side. Our intelligence has  witnessed that the mercenaries enter the stores in Azeri settlements  and ban the sale of alcohol, saying that they are applying Sharia law  over there.

Le Figaro - Should the negotiations continue to be brokered by the  Minsk Group?

Nikol Pashinyan - This is the only format that actually exists. The  Presidents of Russia and France have issued a strong appeal. We are  looking forward to international community's active commitment to  halting the aggression. Turkey cannot be a mediator for its biased  and bellicose stance.

Le Figaro - Is this crisis more severe than that of 2016?

Nikol Pashinyan - This crisis is much more serious. It would be more  appropriate to compare it with what happened in 1915, when more than  1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered during the first genocide of  the 20th century.

The Turkish state, which continues to deny the past, has once again  ventured down a genocidal path. The world should be aware of what is  happening here. The international community must intervene as swiftly  as possible to prevent the spread of violence; otherwise the  consequences of this standoff will spill over beyond the South  Caucasus.