Azernews.Az

By Akbar Mammadov

The Turkish people will defend any decision brotherly Azerbaijan takes in its rightful cause, Turkey’s National Security Council said in a statement on July 22.

The statement condemned the aggression of Armenia, which has been continuing its illegitimate occupation in the territories of Azerbaijan for years, which disrupts the peace and ignores international law.

“Armenia must put an end to its aggressive attitude and leave Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied. The Turkish people will defend any decision brotherly Azerbaijan takes in its rightful cause,” the statement reads.

The statement was made following the meeting of the Turkish National Security Council chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

It should be noted that earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Miniser Mevlut Cavushoglu, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar voiced support for Azerbaijan amid Armenia's provocation on the border.

The cross-border fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan started on July 12 with Armenia's firing artillery at Azerbaijan's positions in the direction of Tovuz region. Azerbaijani army lost 12 servicemen as a result of Armenian attacks. One civilian was killed as a result of artillery fire by the Armenian armed forces.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Since 1994, hostilities between the two countries have persisted despite the temporary cease-fire agreement. Usually, Armenian forces violate cease-fire regime on the line of contact. But recently Armenia has increased military aggression on the border.

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

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