A Turkish defense ministry official announced today, Thursday, that Turkey is using "all means," including training and modernizing the military, to support its close ally Azerbaijan, but it has not played a direct role in Baku's military operation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Turkey, a NATO member, publicly declared its support for Baku on Wednesday in "its efforts to preserve its territorial integrity," but it is unclear whether Ankara has taken any active role in the 24-hour military operation.
A Turkish defense ministry official told reporters today, "It was only the Azerbaijan Army's operation; Turkey did not intervene directly." The official added, "Turkey's cooperation with Azerbaijan in military training and modernization has been ongoing for a long time. The success of the Azerbaijan Army in its recent operation clearly demonstrates the level they have reached."
The official continued that the Turkey-Russia joint monitoring center is still operational and reports any violations of the ceasefire. He stated that Turkey, which has linguistic, cultural, and economic ties with Azerbaijan, supports Baku and Yerevan's efforts to build peaceful relations.
