Pompeo: Trump "fully prepared" to take military action against TurkeyOctober 22, 2019 - 12:03 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said President Donald Trump is "fully prepared" to take military actions against Turkey in Syria if necessary, Business Insider reports. "We prefer peace to war," Pompeo told CNBC. "But in the event that kinetic action or military action is needed, you should know that President Trump is fully prepared to undertake that action." This comment came a little over two weeks after Trump's controversial decision to withdraw US troops from northeast Syria, which paved the way for Turkey to invade. If the US attacked Turkey, it would have major implications for the historic NATO alliance. NATO's core principle, Article 5, is that an attack on one member is an attack on all. An attack from one NATO member on another would therefore put the alliance in a paradoxical situation. NATO was originally founded at the start of the Cold War to counter the Soviet Union, and its purpose has evolved over time. But it continues to serve as a deterrent to Russian aggression in Europe, particularly after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Hence, if NATO collapsed or if the alliance was put under major strains then it would be advantageous to the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Erdogan wants “realistic road map” for relations with Armenia Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a “new realistic road map” for relations with Armenia. Armenia-Azerbaijan: Experts launch work on determining coordinates Expert groups from the countries started the process of determining the coordinates based on geodetic measurements. Yerevan says did not expect CSTO in peacekeeping role Pashinyan has declared that the CSTO would be expected to come to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border as an ally of Armenia Henrikh Mkhitaryan wins Serie A title with Inter Inter Milan midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan admits that the team have long been imagining clinching Serie A against AC Milan. |