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Macron to Discuss With Erdogan Redeployment of Syrian Militants to Baku Via Turkey

PARIS (Sputnik) – French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that he would hold a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to discuss the redeployment of Syrian militants to Azerbaijan via Turkey.
Sputnik

"I will call President Erdogan in the next several days because I believe that France as a co-chair of the [OSCE] Minsk Group must demand explanations on this issue", Macron said.

The French president pointed out that he had held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday to exchange information on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“I believe I can say the Russian party is assessing the situation in the same way. I also think that poses a threat to the security of Russia and the whole region,” Macron noted, describing the situation as unacceptable.

"I call on all NATO member states to take note of the behavior of a NATO member state [Turkey]", the French leader added.

Earlier, the French president said that 300 Syrian militants had been sent to Baku via the Turkish city of Gaziantep amid an escalation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.

French President Macron Says 300 Syrian Militants Sent to Baku via Turkey
The hostilities in Azerbaijan’s Armenian-dominated breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh erupted on Sunday when both parties accused each other of violating the ceasefire.

Armenia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh, which controls most parts of Nagorno-Karabakh, said that Azerbaijan had launched an offensive on the breakaway region, and both declared martial law and mobilization. Azerbaijan has also declared martial law and partial mobilization.

Most countries, including France, Russia, and the United States have called on the warring parties to cease the hostilities and settle their differences via dialogue. Turkey, for its part, has vowed to support Azerbaijan both in talks and in combat if necessary.

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