The Globe and Mail, a Canadian newspaper, published an article today entitled Canada needs to pick a side as Nagorno-Karabakh tensions rise, Armenian PM says, based on what it describes as an exclusive telephone interview with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The article quotes Pashinyan as saying: “A ceasefire can be established only if Turkey is removed from the South Caucasus.”

The newspaper writes that Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan rejected a ceasefire push initiated by France, Russia and the United States on Thursday.

“The Minsk trio consisting of the U.S., Russia and France making ceasefire calls after years of ignorance does not make sense. Occupiers need to leave the land they’re occupying first,” the paper quotes Erdogan saying on Thursday in a speech to the opening of parliament in Ankara.

“Permanent peace in the Nagorno-Karabakh region will only be possible if Armenia leaves the Azerbaijani lands it has been occupying,” Erdogan said.

The newspaper writes that Pashinyan welcomed the ceasefire call, and condemned Turkey’s rejection of it, adding that the introduction of Syrian mercenaries makes it impossible to consider withdrawing Armenian troops from Nagorno-Karabakh.