4 yıl önce

US, Russia and France stand by Armenia: Erdogan

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, which is co-chaired by the US, Russia and France, was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the occupied Karabakh conflict.

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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking at Sirnak Governor's Office opening ceremony in Sirnak, Turkey, October 18, 2020.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk group — the US, Russia, France — stand by Armenia and provide the country with "weapon support."

"What happened in Iraq, Syria, even in the Balkans in the past, and now in Libya and Karabakh has shown us how discrimination, secessionism and pursuit of small gains have brought nothing but blood and tears," Erdogan said speaking at a provincial congress meeting of the governing Justice and Development (AK) Party in the southeastern Sirnak province on Sunday.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the Upper Karabakh conflict, but to no avail.

"Our Azerbaijani brothers are currently in a very serious struggle against Armenia. Why are they fighting this struggle? Because they are fighting to liberate Azerbaijan's occupied lands from the Armenians," he said, adding: "What can be more natural than that?"

Minsk trio failed to conclude negotiations

Erdogan stressed that the the US, Russia and France "have not finished these negotiations" for 30 years, and have not provided the lands of Azerbaijani people to them.

"Now, Azerbaijani brothers are struggling to liberate the occupied territories. May Allah help them. I believe that they will take back and liberate the occupied lands from Armenians. And we pray for them. Hope they will get it successfully," he said.

Clashes erupted between the Azerbaijan and Armenia on September 27 and Armenia has since continued its attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces, even violating humanitarian ceasefire agreements.

A new ceasefire, the second since hostilities began, was announced on Saturday and only went into effect at 2000 GMT (midnight local time).

The second cease-fire was reached between Baku and Yerevan after the previous October 10 humanitarian ceasefire — meant to allow an exchange of prisoners and the recovery of dead bodies — was breached hours later by Armenian missile attacks on Azerbaijan's city of Ganja, killing 10 people and injuring 35.

Upper Karabakh conflict

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Upper Karabakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh, an internationally recognised territory of Azerbaijan.

Some 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory has remained under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades.

A ceasefire was first agreed to in 1994.

Multiple UN resolutions, as well as international organisations, demand the withdrawal of the occupying forces.

World powers, including Russia, France, and the US, have called for a cessation of hostilities. Turkey, meanwhile, has supported Baku's right to self-defence and demanded the withdrawal of Armenia's occupying forces.