YEREVAN, OCTOBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Ethnic Armenian lawmaker of the Turkish parliament Garo Paylan says the Turkish authorities are openly conducting a war propaganda, calling it a great crime.

Paylan issued a statement over the ongoing military operations unleashed by Azerbaijan with the support of Turkey against Armenia and Artsakh.

“The ongoing tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia due to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, unfortunately, is leading to war in recent days. Contrary to the calls of the whole world to stop the conflict and cease the fire, the Justice and Development Party – the Nationalist Movement alliance has adopted an open militaristic behavior towards the tension existing between our neighbor countries Armenia and Azerbaijan. The leadership is openly conducting a war propaganda with its militaristic course, with open hostile statements against Armenia, instead of calling on the countries for ceasefire and negotiation”, Paylan said.

Paylan said the Turkish authorities are committing a crime by carrying out a war propaganda. He stated that the Peoples’ Democratic Party and its representatives have always supported peace.

“My friends and I have always supported peace in all spheres of politics, be it in internal or external politics, and have always opposed war”, he said, adding that from the very first moment of the NK conflict he has made efforts to change Turkey’s position towards war which will cause huge losses to the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples.

The ethnic Armenian MP said the Turkish leadership with its military policy is taking the whole country and the whole region into darkness. “Those who call for war will try to silence the ones who try to voice for peace. Whatever I and my friends do, we should continue calling for peace. Because war has no winner, and peace has no loser”, he said.

Garo Paylan also informed that some circles are trying to silence him. “I know quite well what this statement means. Despite this reality, I will not retreat to take a responsibility for preventing wars”, he said, calls on all individuals and organizations, who believe in peace, to raise their voice against war in order to protect peace.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan