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Armenia, Azerbaijan Trade Accusations in Nagorno-Karabakh Dispute

Dorian Jones

   ISTANBUL - Armenia and Azerbaijan have accused one another of using
   Syrian fighters in the conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh
   enclave. The use of foreign fighters, analysts warn, could be a serious
   escalation, threatening wider regional repercussions.'¯

   Armenia's ambassador to Moscow, Vardan Toghanyan, on Monday accused
   Turkey of sending 4,000 Syrian fighters from northern Syria to bolster
   Azeri forces seeking to recapture the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Dozens
   have been killed and hundreds wounded since fighting erupted Sunday.

   The enclave is inside Azerbaijan but is run by ethnic Armenians, who
   seized control in a bloody war in the 1990s. Russia is historically an
   ally of Armenia and maintains military bases therebut has sought to
   maintain good relations with Azerbaijan. Russia sells both countries
   weapons and armaments. Azerbaijan is a crucial ally of Turkey, whose
   president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is strongly backing Baku's efforts to
   recapture Nagorno-Karabakh.

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