Erdogan: Armenia biggest threat to peace in region

Armenia has proven again that it is the biggest obstacle to peace and stability in the region by attacking Azerbaijan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday.

“Turkey will continue to stand by its brothers in Azerbaijan as it has always done,” the president announced on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Turkey pledged support for Azerbaijan as it has a military base in the country.

Erdogan also said the international community’s failure to respond to Armenia’s attacks shows its double standard.

“Holding onto its negligent attitude for almost 30 years, the (OSCE) Minsk group, unfortunately, is miles away from acting in a manner that is focused on finding a solution to the conflict,” Erdogan said.

Armenian provocation continues to threaten regional peace

The OSCE Minsk Group – co-chaired by France, Russia and the US – was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but to no avail. A ceasefire, however, was agreed in 1994.

Erdogan today demanded Armenia put an end to its “occupation” of Nagorny Karabakh after deadly clashes broke out along the border of Azerbaijan’s breakaway region, Anadolu reported.

Relations between the two former Soviet nations have been particularly strained since 1991, when Armenia occupied the Upper Karabakh region, known as Nagorno Karabakh, despite it being an internationally-recognised territory belonging to Azerbaijan.