Karabakh's destruction should be brought to ICJ for compensation: Erdogan

The destruction of the Karabakh region during Armenia's occupation should be brought to the International Court of Justice, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

"Now I look to my right and left. What did they do to Jabrayil during the occupation period? I asked Aliyev, did the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) or EU come to this place?"

"He said: 'No, they didn't come.' Why they didn't come? Because they will see their own disgrace. They will see what the West did here to Jabrayil and whole Karabakh by giving support during the occupation process."

"It is necessary to ask for compensation by bringing them to the International Court of Justice. It is necessary to corner them by asking for compensation. It is necessary to reintroduce the West to the world," Erdogan said at a news conference on Thursday with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Jabrayil district.

The meeting came after the leaders jointly inaugurated the Zangilan International Airport, Azerbaijan’s second airport in territories reclaimed from Armenia during the 2020 Karabakh War.

READ MORE: Türkiye's Erdogan, Azerbaijan's Aliyev inaugurate Zangilan airport

Karabakh Action Plan

Erdogan said Türkiye is ready to stand by Azerbaijan in all sectors, particularly in agriculture, green energy and smart cities, as part of the Karabakh Action Plan.

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

Baku liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian 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.

READ MORE: Can Azerbaijan and Armenia find lasting peace?