OSCE has become 'center of deadlock,' says Turkish foreign minister

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) – Türkiye on Friday denounced the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) decision to send a mission to Armenia, saying the regional bloc has become a "center of deadlock."

"The decision now taken is against OSCE's operating rules. Such a fait accompli is unacceptable," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a news conference in Mersin, southern Türkiye.

He further said the security organization was unable to find a solution to the longstanding Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute as it "has sided with the occupier" for the past 30 years.

The OSCE announced that it will send a needs assessment team to Armenia on Oct. 21-27 following Yerevan's invitation.

On Tuesday, the bloc urged an "immediate cease-fire" after the latest border flare-up between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Baku liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenia's occupation during 44-day clashes in the 2020 fall, which ended after a Moscow-brokered truce. The peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.

- US-Saudi Arabia rift over oil supply cut

On the ongoing row between the US and Saudi Arabia over global oil production cut, Ankara threw its weight behind Riyadh, as the top Turkish diplomat called US criticisms "bullying."

"We are seeing that a country (the US) is threatening Saudi Arabia, and this bullying is not correct," said Cavusoglu.

Sanctions need to be lifted if the world wants oil prices to decrease, he asserted, adding that the issue cannot be resolved by "threatening one country (Saudi Arabia)."

On Oct. 5, Saudi Arabia, which chairs the OPEC+ cartel, voted in favor of reducing output by about 2 million barrels per day, with the White House alleging that it not only lent its support but also worked diligently behind the scenes to ensure the bloc implemented them, putting pressure on other nations to fall in line.

While US President Joe Biden has vocally criticized the kingdom and warned of impending consequences, he has not revealed the nature of his response.

The cut also comes almost a month before the US midterm elections, which Democrats appear vulnerable to losing because higher gas prices in a country with rampant inflation are unlikely to boost their electoral prospects.​​​​​​​