Through Azerbaijan, Turkey is working to strengthen its influence on Armenia by creating economic dependencies. This opinion was expressed by Vahagn Melikyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and co-founder of the Pan-Armenian Council of Diplomats.
Commenting on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement regarding Kazakh wheat and the reaction of the Armenian authorities, Melikyan noted that such a stance is natural, since the government perceives elements of political support in Azerbaijan’s actions.
“Any such minor step by Azerbaijan receives an immediate positive response. Pashinyan’s praise could be rephrased as: ‘Thank you for such strong support during the election campaign,’” Melikyan said, adding that in the pre-election context, Aliyev had effectively joined Pashinyan’s campaign — and not only Aliyev, but also Turkey, acting behind the scenes.
According to him, such moves become additional arguments for the authorities during the election period — as if they had brought peace to the country. Melikyan emphasized that this was a coordinated step from Baku.
“First of all, at what price is this wheat coming… What is this, if not support and assistance from Azerbaijan to the Armenian authorities struggling for survival?” he remarked.
He recalled that in his speech, Aliyev spoke both about the transit of Kazakh wheat through Azerbaijan to Armenia and about the so-called Zangezur Corridor.
“If the authorities appreciate one part of that speech, they are also obliged to respond to the other — the one concerning the illogical concept of the much-discussed corridor,” Melikyan said.
According to him, with this step, Baku not only supported the current Armenian leadership but also gained a new lever of influence over Armenia.
The diplomat warned: today Kazakh wheat is entering through Azerbaijan; tomorrow it will be Azerbaijani wheat, then gas, and finally Azerbaijanis themselves.
“Step by step, preparations are being made for the final act — the settlement of Azerbaijanis in Armenia. I am more than convinced that such an agreement has already been reached behind the scenes,” Melikyan said.