Faruk Zorlu
October 27, 2020•Update: October 28, 2020
ANKARA
Turkey’s foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned Armenia for "inhumane attacks on civilians" in Azerbaijan.
"We strongly condemn Armenia's inhumane attack and call on the countries having conscience and responsibility to stop the war crimes that Armenia continues to commit," it said in a statement.
Despite the cease-fire, "Armenia's ongoing attacks targeting civilian settlements outside the conflict zone in Azerbaijan trample on all universal humanitarian and moral values."
At least four civilians, including a 2-year-old, were killed and 13 wounded in Barda when Armenia targeted civilian settlements in Azerbaijan in a breach of the cease-fire.
"We wish Allah's mercy on our brothers who lost their lives, immediate healing to the injured and our condolences to all Azerbaijani people," it said.
"Although Armenia has violated the three cease-fires declared so far with the initiatives of the co-chairs of the Minsk Group, we think it is telling that none of the co-chairs reacted to these violations."
A new US-brokered temporary humanitarian truce between Azerbaijan and Armenia was announced Sunday and took effect at 8 a.m. local time (0400GMT) Monday.
Since the clashes erupted Sept. 27, Armenia has repeatedly attacked Azerbaijani civilians and forces, even violating three humanitarian cease-fires since Oct. 10. To date at least 65 Azerbaijani civilians have died and 297 have been injured.
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.
