Azernews.Az

By Akbar Mammadov

Turkey has expressed its full-fledged support to Azerbaijan over Armenian’s latest attack along the line of contact with Azerbaijani troops.

On September 27, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described Armenia “the biggest threat to peace and serenity in the region” in a Twitter post.

The president also commented on the Armenian attack on Azerbaijan while addressing a symposium on International Maritime Law, Eastern Mediterranean on September 28, saying that the peace in the region will be restored if Armenia halts attacks against Azerbaijan and leaves the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkish media has reported.

Erdogan stressed that Azerbaijan was forced to take matters into its own hands and respond to flagrant Armenian attacks, adding that Azerbaijan has been facing attacks in the past three decades and the international community stood by as Armenia kept attacking.

“I condemn Armenia once again for attacking Azerbaijani lands. It is about time to end the crisis that had started with the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh. Peace will be restored in the region if Armenia halts attacks against Azerbaijan and leaves the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh,” Erdogan said.

Noting that recent developments have given all countries in the region an opportunity to utilize realistic and fair solution methods, Erdogan pointed out that Turkey hopes they make the best use of this opportunity.

The Turkish president also criticizing the Minsk co-chairs-the U.S, Russia and France, stressed that the Minsk trio has failed to resolve the conflict for 30 years now. He added that the Minsk co-chairs’ initiative has been ineffective and they have almost done everything possible not to solve the problem.

Erdogan reminded that even though the international community recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as territories of Azerbaijan, more than 1 million people have been displaced from their native lands as a result of the occupation by Armenia, none asks to account all these.

He also stressed that the international community, which fails to take the necessary and sufficient stand against Armenia’s provocative aggression, has once again shown its double standard. The Minsk Group as well, which has been displaying a negligent attitude for nearly 30 years, is unfortunately far from adopting a solution-oriented approach.

“While we urge the Armenian people to protect their future against their government, which drags them into a tragedy, and against those who use it as a puppet, we call on the entire world to stand by Azerbaijan in its struggle against occupation and oppression.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Chavushoglu also voiced support to Azerbaijan during the phone conversation with Minister Ceyhun Bayramov on September 27.

During the conversation, Mevlut Chavushoglu, strongly condemning the new act of aggression by Armenia and emphasized that Turkey is always next to Azerbaijan in its struggle leaning on international law and justice.

Jeyhun Bayramov expressed his gratitude for always existing support of brotherly Turkey.

Bayramov said that the new act of aggression by the armed forces of Armenia against Azerbaijan was a gross violation of fundamental norms and principles of international law, UN Security Council resolutions calling for the full and unconditional withdrawal of the armed forces of Armenia from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, international humanitarian law, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their additional Protocols.

The necessity of the withdrawal of occupying forces of Armenia from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan in order to ensure peace and security in the region was stressed.

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar also condemned the occupation policy of Armenia and urged Armenia to immediately withdraw from Azerbaijan’s occupied territories.

"Armenia must immediately halt its attacks, send back the mercenaries and terrorists it brought from abroad and withdraw from the Azerbaijan lands they have been occupying," Akar said.

The Turkish defence minister also criticized bystanders who “just remembered about dialogue now”, asking “where they were when Armenia occupied 20 per cent of the Azerbaijani territories, or when Armenians indiscriminately massacred women, children and the elderly in Khojaly and displaced millions of people from their homes.”

Stating that Turkey and Azerbaijan are “one nation, two states,” he emphasized that Turkey will stand beside its Azerbaijani siblings against Armenian attacks.

Akar also pointed out that Armenia continues its occupation policy despite the United Nations resolutions and international law. He highlighted that Armenia has also recently increased its provocations and further escalated tensions in the region.

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Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

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