'Armenia responsible for continuation of Karabakh war'

BAKU

The Azerbaijani president on Sunday held Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan responsible for continued war in Upper Karabakh and casualties on both sides.

Ilham Aliyev made the remarks at a meeting with Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku.

Aliyev said the Armenian premier wrote a letter to Moscow asking help from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He said the move to write the letter clearly shows that Armenia has accepted defeat but does not want to surrender.

"It is the most reasonable option for Armenia to declare its defeat, remove its armies from our land and, solve the problems through dialogue,” he said.

“The problem is being solved now. Azerbaijan alone implements the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council," he added.

Thanking the people of Turkey for their support, he said the Turkish media works in the war-zone risking their lives for factual reportage.

After shelling in Azerbaijan’s Ganja and Barda cities, Turkish media was the first to reach the scene, he added.

Cavusoglu said Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had instructed them to stay with Azerbaijan in their hour of need.

“Everyone sees what Armenia is doing and violates the cease-fire every time, but many do not want to say this. Therefore, we will continue to defend our rights by further strengthening the solidarity between us," Cavusoglu added.

Since clashes erupted Sept. 27, Armenia has repeatedly attacked Azerbaijani civilians and forces, even violating three humanitarian cease-fires since Oct. 10.

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

Four UN Security Council resolutions and two from the UN General Assembly, as well as international organizations, demand the "immediate complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces" from the occupied Azerbaijani territory.

About 20% of Azerbaijan's territory – including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions – has been under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades.

A cease-fire, however, was agreed to in 1994.

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