Two consultants have claimed that members of the PKK terrorist group and Armenians are being skilled collectively at a navy camp in Azerbaijan’s disputed area of Karabakh the place Iran allegedly moved some 4,000 militants left idle following the détente in Syria, largely propelled by the dual earthquakes that killed hundreds on Feb. 6.
“These Iranian militants are extremely prone to be despatched to not simply Karabakh but in addition to the warzone between Russia and Ukraine,” in line with professor Toğrul Ismayıl, an professional in Russian and Eurasian politics.
“These allegations are 100% correct,” mentioned one other professional, Babek Şahit of Tabriz Analysis Institute.
As tensions boil between neighbors Azerbaijan and Iran, Tehran has declared Armenia’s border safety as its redline and has been shifting militants to Karabakh, the supply of the longstanding battle between Baku and Yerevan, in line with Ismayıl and Şahit.
Ismayıl argued Tehran believes it’s been dropping its strategic significance within the area, the place Türkiye-Azerbaijan ties additionally make up an efficient issue, therefore the transfer of its militants to Karabakh.
“PKK terrorists and Armenians too are skilled collectively at this navy camp, led by the so-called commander Vazgen Sisilyan,” Ismayıl mentioned, including that the mentioned allegations “existed earlier than as properly.”
Iran-Armenia relations have been very heat and shut and Tehran determines its insurance policies towards Azerbaijan and the broader area by means of Armenia, he defined. “The rationale why is that they don’t desire a highly effective Azerbaijani state within the north and Baku’s alliance with Türkiye within the meantime contradicts Iran’s insurance policies,” he mentioned.
Citing the entry of “unidentified individuals” coming into Azerbaijan from Iran, Ismayıl mentioned it was “a bonus for Iran for its idle militants for use in regional clashes fairly than utilizing them inside its personal borders.”
Iran doesn’t need the Zangezur Hall to open both, Ismayıl went on saying, “And Tehran is doing its finest to make sure it doesn’t occur directly.”
“Considered one of Iran’s most clear statements is that ‘Armenia’s territorial integrity is Iran’s crimson line.’ That’s actually humorous as a result of Iran didn’t make such a press release when Azerbaijani territory was occupied. With regards to Armenia, Iran says ridiculous issues like ‘Azerbaijan and Türkiye will come collectively, disrupt and invade Armenia,’” Ismayıl mentioned.
Relations between the previous Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian navy illegally occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally acknowledged as a part of Azerbaijan, and 7 adjoining areas.
Clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian Military attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces, violating a number of humanitarian cease-fire agreements. Through the 44-day battle, Azerbaijan liberated a number of cities and round 300 settlements and villages that Armenia had occupied for nearly 30 years.
The preventing ended with a Russian-brokered settlement on Nov. 10, 2020, which was seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia. Nonetheless, the cease-fire has been violated a number of instances since then, most lately in early March when 5 folks had been killed on each side on the Khankendi-Khalfali-Turshsu highway.
As for the PKK relationship between Armenia and Iran, Şahit argued the incident “isn’t something new.”
“PKK’s ties with Iran and particularly so-called volunteering Armenian formations have been ongoing for the reason that Syrian civil conflict broke out,” Şahit mentioned, claiming {that a} brigade of the Assyrian forces that emerged in northern Syria broke off from the YPG, the PKK’s Syrian offshoot, to affix the Iran-Quds Power in 2014.
The Quds Power is likely one of the 5 branches of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps specializing in unconventional warfare and navy intelligence operations.
“On the time, an Iran-backed coaching camp, named Aga Petros, was held, which was a legion solely managed by the Quds Forces. Equally, we learn about varied formations which have shut hyperlinks with the PKK/YPG, which consists of different Syrian-Armenians. In 2014, they operated along with the Quds Power,” Şahit famous.
In line with him, an important group is VOMA, (Voxj Mnalu Arvest or the Artwork of Survival) which got here to the foreground throughout the Second Karabakh Struggle.
“We all know that VOMA camps are current in occupied lands; for example, they’ve a camp within the Tuğ village the place PKK terrorists and Armenians, backed by Iranian Quds Power, obtained armed coaching. This terrorist group is helmed by Voya Vortanov,” Şahit defined.
“Its so-called navy commander Vazgen Sisilyan is one other essential level. Sisilyan, a Lebanese-Armenian, is the perpetrator of the assault on Türkiye’s Paris Embassy in 1981 and the assassination of Türkiye’s ambassador to Budapest in 1991,” he claimed. “Sisilyan is at present in command of Lebanese Armenians and the navy coaching of VOMA there. We all know an Armenian citizen supported the Armenian forces by taking some 300 folks to this camp by means of Iran throughout the Second Karabakh Struggle.”
The Quds Power has achieved its objective of shifting its mobilized militants and creating instability within the area, Şahit mentioned. “Azerbaijan caught 17 individuals who illegally crossed into Karabakh from Iran. Tehran by no means commented on it,” he added, and claimed the allegations had been “confirmed past mere claims with information tales and statements from official authorities.”