Turkish lawmakers condemn Armenian attacks on Azerbaijan

ANKARA

Four major parties in Turkey's parliament on Thursday issued a joint declaration condemning Armenia's recent cross-border attacks into Azerbaijan.

"As the Turkish Grand National Assembly, we strongly condemn the Armenian armed forces' attack on the Tovuz region of Azerbaijan starting since July 12," said the declaration.

"Armenia is on the wrong path [...] the attacks, which are an example of known Armenian hostility, are the biggest obstacle in front of permanent peace in the south Caucasus," it said.

The Turkish lawmakers called on the international community to take the necessary action "towards Armenia's attitude that ignores right and justice."

"Armenia should obey the decisions of the UN Security Council and OSCE and should withdraw from occupied Azerbaijani territories," the declaration noted.

"Turkey, with its all capabilities, will continue to side with Azerbaijan in its struggle to ensure its territorial integrity."

The opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) did not sign the declaration.

Earlier on Sunday, the Armenian army attempted to attack Azerbaijani positions with artillery fire in the direction of the northwestern Tovuz border district, withdrawing after suffering losses following retaliation from the Azerbaijani military.

Eleven Azerbaijani soldiers -- including a major general and a colonel -- were martyred in recent border clashes with Armenia that injured four others.

Despite international calls for restraint, Armenian troops opened fire on residential areas in the villages of Agdam and Dondar Kuscu. A 76-year-old Azerbaijani man lost his life in the attacks by Armenia, which Baku has accused of hiding losses.

Azerbaijan has blamed Armenia for the "provocative" actions, with Turkey throwing its weight behind Baku and warning Yerevan that it would not hesitate to stand against any kind of attack on its eastern neighbor.

Upper Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan, has been illegally occupied since 1991 through Armenian military aggression.

Four UN Security Council and two UN General Assembly resolutions, as well as decisions by many international organizations, refer to this fact and demand the withdrawal of the occupational Armenian forces from Upper Karabakh and seven other occupied regions of Azerbaijan.