Epress.am News from Armenia
Azerbaijan media report that Turkey might establish a military base in Azerbaijan. It is assumed that this issue was discussed during Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s recent official visit to Baku. A possible new military base is a blow directed at the new contract signed between Moscow and Yerevan, which extends Russia’s current contract for an additional 24 years, reports Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
In the opinion of Azerbaijani analysts, with this step, Russia strengthens its role in the region and sends a message to Azerbaijan: don’t even think about settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through means of force.
As previously reported, during Gul’s Baku visit, the two countries’ leaders signed a “Strategic Partnership and Mutual Assistance” deal. Analysts state, as well, that the agreements signed between Armenia and Russia, and Turkey and Azerbaijan are not responding measures, since the Armenia-Russia contract was planned long ago, while the the Turkey-Azerbaijan deal is simply a renewal of a previous contract.