Clashes along the Azerbaijan-Armenia border have intensified in recent weeks, with soldiers killed on both sides.
During the Nagorno-Karabakh War, clashes occurred between Armenian and Azeri forces in the Nakhichevan-Armenia border, however, the war did not spill over into Nakhichevan.
In recent years, Turkey has sought to play a bigger regional role, re-establishing ties with nearby Arab countries and reaching out to Armenia, whose border with Turkey has been closed since the 1990s, when Armenia was at war with its neighbor Azerbaijan, a Turkish ally.
And the action has spread to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, where civilians have become targets.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 after Armenia occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan, Turkey's close ally and energy provider in the region.
The term United Armenia refers to the borders of Armenia recognized by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and outlined in the Treaty of Sèvres.
Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of violating its border and shooting dead five of its soldiers, a day after three Armenians were killed in the same area.
The borders of United Armenia shall include all territories designated as Armenia by the Treaty of Sèvres as well as the regions of Artsakh, Javakhk, and Nakhichevan (See map).
United Armenia should include inside its borders the Armenian lands [given to Armenia] by the Sevres Treaty, as well as Artsakh, Javakhk and Nakhichevan provinces".
There are numerous territorial conflicts in the region – Moldova-Transnistria, Georgia-Russia, Armenia-Azerbaijan and Armenia-Turkey, impairing the process of border demarcation between the countries.
Armenia is the only country bordering Turkey, a NATO member, in which the Russians have troops and a base.
