ISTANBUL

Armenia's latest violations along the border with Azerbaijan in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region have shown that it is the biggest threat to regional peace, the Turkish president said on Sunday.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Twitter that Turkey fully stands by Azerbaijan, and lamented the international community's "double standards" by not condemning Armenian aggression.

Border clashes broke out earlier in the day when Armenian forces targeted Azerbaijani civilian settlements and military positions, leading to casualties.

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


In July, Armenian cease-fire violations martyred 12 Azerbaijani troops and wounded four others.

Clashes in the region flared up again on Sept. 21 when an Azerbaijani soldier was martyred, and another injured.

Multiple UN resolutions demand the withdrawal of the occupying forces.

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 in 1994.

Erdogan said Turkey will continue its solidarity with Azerbaijan, urging the global community to stand by the latter.

Ankara has strongly condemned the attack, and reiterated its support to Baku in every way possible.

* Writing by Seda Sevencan