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Image posted, Reuters
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Armenia to end the “occupation” of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is disputed by Azerbaijan.
This came as fighting broke out for the second day in a row, as decades-long conflict was renewed in the Caucasus region of southeastern Europe.
Erdogan said that ending the “occupation” of Armenia and its withdrawal from the region is the only course of action that would establish peace.
Turkish news agency Anadolu quoted Erdogan as saying that “Turkey will continue to support friendly and brotherly Azerbaijan in all its capacities.”
Erdogan’s senior adviser, Elnur Civik, said Turkey had told its allies in Azerbaijan to go as far as they wanted.
Dozens of people were reported killed in fighting between forces on the two sides on Monday.
The mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but has been under Armenian control since the war was stopped in 1994.
During that war, tens of thousands of people died and a million people were driven from their homes.
On Monday night, the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities reported that 26 of their more soldiers had been killed in the fighting, bringing the total losses to more than 80.
Other countries are concerned that the recent fighting will spread outside the region and attract neighboring powers such as Turkey, Russia and Iran.
Image posted, Reuters
Residents took refuge in bomb shelters in Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh.
They also want to maintain stability in the region, as the main oil and gas pipelines run through it.
The latest clashes began on Sunday, with Armenia and Azerbaijan blaming each other for the escalation.
The two sides said they had mobilized more soldiers and declared martial law in some areas.
The fighting is the fiercest in the conflict since 2016, when at least 200 people were killed in clashes.
What opinion Other countries Of conflict؟
Turkey announced its support for Azerbaijan, while Russia, which has military bases in Armenia but is also friends with Azerbaijan, called for an immediate ceasefire.
Armenia accused Turkey of providing direct military support to Azerbaijan to help it control the territories, a claim it recently denied.
What do you say Who Armenia and Azerbaijan?
In an interview with the BBC, Armenian Foreign Minister Zahrab Manatsakanyan accused Azerbaijan of sabotaging a peaceful settlement of the conflict and insisted that Armenia should defend the region.
A spokesman for the Azerbaijani presidential administration told the BBC that his country was taking “countermeasures” in the face of Armenia’s provocations.
Nagorno Karabakh Key facts
- A mountainous area with an area of approximately 4,400 square kilometers
- It is traditionally inhabited by Armenian Christians and Turkish Muslims.
- In the Soviet era, it became an autonomous region within the Republic of Azerbaijan.
- It is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the majority of its population is of Armenian origin.
- An estimated one million people were displaced by the war between 1988 and 1994, and nearly 30,000 people died.
- Separatist forces captured some additional territory around the enclave in Azerbaijan in the 1990 war.
- Stalemate has largely prevailed since a ceasefire began in 1994
- Turkey openly supports Azerbaijan
- Russia has military bases in Armenia
What New in battlefield؟
In addition to the deaths announced on Monday, the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities announced on Sunday that 16 people were killed and more than 100 injured.
Armenian authorities said that 200 of its citizens were injured in the clashes, according to the “Interfax” agency.
Image posted, EPA
Armenia posted photos of what it said were destroyed Azerbaijani tanks
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan said two of its citizens died on Monday after five people from a family died on Sunday. He also announced that 30 other people were injured.
Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said their forces had retaken some of the territories occupied by Azerbaijani forces on Sunday.
On Monday, the Azerbaijani government said it had occupied strategically important sites in the disputed region.
Image posted, EPA
Azerbaijan released photos of what it said were destroyed Armenian armored vehicles
In July, at least 16 people were killed in border clashes, which led to the largest demonstration in years in the Azerbaijani capital Baku, where there were calls for the takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Other international reactions
- UN Secretary General António Guterres says he is “extremely concerned” and urges both sides to stop the fighting.
- The Russian Foreign Minister held urgent talks with the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders.
- France, which has a large Armenian community, calls for an immediate ceasefire and dialogue
- Iran, which borders Azerbaijan and Armenia, offers to mediate peace talks
- US President Donald Trump Says US Seeks to Stop Violence
What is the background?
In 1988, near the end of the Soviet rule, Azerbaijani forces and Armenian separatists started a bloody war that left Nagorno-Karabakh in the hands of the Armenians after signing a truce in 1994.
Tens of thousands died in the war and many Azerbaijanis were forced to flee their homes.
Currently, the region is de facto independent and relies heavily on the support of Armenia. But no member of the United Nations recognizes it, including Armenia.
Furthermore, large tracts of Azerbaijani land around the enclave are under Armenian control.
Image posted, EPA
The bombing damaged homes in the Armenian city of Martoni
So far, the negotiations have failed to reach a lasting peace agreement and the conflict in the region remains one of the “frozen conflicts” in Europe after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Karabakh is the Russian translation of an Azeri word meaning “black garden”, while Nagorno is a Russian word meaning “mountainous”. Armenians prefer to call the area Artsakh, which is an old Armenian name for the area.
Both sides have killed soldiers on the other side over the years in sporadic ceasefire violations. Armenia, which has no maritime borders, has suffered serious economic problems due to the closure of the borders with neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Russia, France and the United States co-chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in the Minsk European Group, which is trying to mediate to end the conflict.
