Turkey condemns Armenia's attacks on Azerbaijani civilian settlements

ANKARA

Turkey on Thursday "strongly" condemned Armenia’s ongoing attacks on civilian settlements in Azerbaijan.

In the immediate aftermath of the latest Armenian attack on a group of civilians during a funeral ceremony in the Azerbaijani city of Terter, Turkey's Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Ankara’s unwavering support for Azerbaijan.

The statement, which pointed out that Armenia continues to disregard the humanitarian cease-fire with Azerbaijan effective since Oct. 10, stressed that Armenia once again showed its unlawful face that is incompatible with humanitarian values with the latest attack.

At least three people were killed and three others were injured Thursday when Armenian forces targeted a group of civilians with artillery shooting during a funeral ceremony in Terter.

The attack also destroyed a number of tombs in the cemetery and a civilian vehicle.

Upper Karabakh conflict

The recent clashes erupted between the two countries on Sept. 27, and since then Armenia has continued attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces.

Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's Office said on Thursday that at least 43 civilians had been killed and 218 injured due to the fresh Armenian attacks.

Armenia's attacks have also rendered 1,592 houses, 79 apartments and 290 public buildings unusable.

Many world powers, including Russia, France, and the US, have urged a new cease-fire. Turkey, meanwhile, has supported Baku's right to self-defense and demanded the withdrawal of Armenia's occupying forces.

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.

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 cease-fire, however, was agreed to in 1994. Multiple UN resolutions, as well as international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the occupying forces.

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