Armenia pushed into Turkish trap, MP warns

Opposition lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan has raised concerns over the first outcomes of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent visit to Turkey. He pointed to the adoption of the "Istanbul Declaration" and five resolutions during the 51st session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul on Saturday, initiated by Azerbaijan and touching on Armenia-related issues.

The declaration affirms the so-called "right of return" for "forcibly displaced Azerbaijanis" to “Western Azerbaijan”, a term increasingly used by Baku to refer to Armenia. Furthermore, Armenia is urged to remove obstacles that hinder the signing of a peace agreement with Azerbaijan.

“Amid the Armenian leadership's refusal to advocate for Artsakh Armenians’ rights, particularly their collective repatriation, and failure to address Azerbaijan’s occupation of Armenian territories, Baku is actively pushing the 'Western Azerbaijan' narrative into the international agenda,” Abrahamyan wrote on Facebook on Monday.

“The authorities have led the country into a Turkish trap, where Armenia’s only role is to submit and endure the blows it receives,” the MP added.