the world is waiting for Russian response - Erdogan Hopes Azerbaijan Will Continue Karabakh Offensive, ‘Free’ Region

The Turkish president noted that Turkey supports "friendly and fraternal Azerbaijan in all possible ways," and would continue to do so.

No Peace Without Turkish Withdrawal
Earlier, in an interview with the Globe and Mail, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Turkey's exit from the southern Caucasus would be a necessary condition for peace in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pashinyan added that it was now up to Turkey's NATO allies to provide an explanation as to why Ankara is involved in the Karabakh conflict.

"Turkey's military personnel and the Turkish armed forces are directly engaged in the hostilities. Turkey's NATO allies must explain why these [Turkish] F-16 jets are shelling towns and villages in Nagorno-Karabakh and killing civilian populations," he said, referring to reports from earlier this week that an Armenian air force jet had downed a Turkish fighter. Turkey denied those reports.

Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance that was signed on 15 May 1992. In 1992, six post-Soviet states belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States—Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—signed the Collective Security Treaty (also referred to as the "Tashkent Pact" or "Tashkent Treaty"). Three other post-Soviet states—Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Georgia—signed the next year and the treaty took effect in 1994. Five years later, six of the nine—all but Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan—agreed to renew the treaty for five more years, and in 2002 those six agreed to create the Collective Security Treaty Organization as a military alliance.

[link to en.wikipedia.org (secure)]

Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Creeps Closer to Armenia's Capital

Armenia reiterated on Friday that it was "ready" for international mediators to help end hostilities with Azerbaijan over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh as fighting between the neighbors raged for a sixth day. Baku has insisted only the Armenian withdrawal from the region, recognized internationally as Azerbaijani territory, can guarantee a ceasefire.

Armenia said that its military shot down drones belonging to Azerbaijani forces with one reaching within 10 miles of Yerevan, although Baku denies this.

"Armenian air defense forces have already eliminated three [drones]," the Armenian government tweeted on Thursday, as the dispute over the predominantly Armenian-populated region threatens to draw in Turkey and Russia.

Meanwhile, the defense ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh said that the death toll in the biggest eruption in the decades-long conflict had reached 154, after another 54 casualties on Friday.

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