Russian MP: Azerbaijan can de facto be considered a NATO member

YEREVAN, June 18. /ARKA/. Azerbaijan could de facto be considered a NATO member from the moment its troops together with the Turkish army unleashed a war against Armenia, which is a member of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee Alexander Sherin said in an interview with Gazeta.Ru. “Legally, it’s a matter of time. Everything will be formalized,' he said.

This way Sherin reacted to the statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Ankara could build a military base on the territory of Azerbaijan.

“Azerbaijan aims at rapprochement with NATO through Turkey, and Armenia is a member of the CSTO. To put it mildly, Russia's neutral position allows Turkey, represented by Erdogan, as the oldest NATO member, to make such statements. Moreover, Moscow has a base on the territory of Armenia, and does not have one in Azerbaijan,” Sherin said.

Sherin also believes that a possible establishment of a Turkish military base in Azerbaijan can be perceived as a de facto NATO expansion.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during a conversation with journalists upon his return from Azerbaijan, did not rule out that within the framework of the Shushi declaration signed with Baku, the sides may start talks on the creation of a military base of the Turkish Armed Forces on Azerbaijani territory.

"This topic can be developed in the course of consultations between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin," Erdogan added. -0-