'Armenian assaults on civilian targets sign of desperation'

ANKARA

Armenia's attacks on civilian settlements in Azerbaijan are not only a "crime against humanity" but also "a sign of the desperation" that the country fell into, said Turkey’s foreign minister on Tuesday. 

"We will [continue to] support the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, just as we did with Georgia, Ukraine, Syria, and Iraq's territorial integrity," Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital.

Commenting on Armenian attacks against civilian settlements, Cavusoglu said these are a violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention. 

Cavusoglu said approaching Azerbaijan and Armenia on equal terms means rewarding the occupier, stressing that the world should instead side with "rightful Azerbaijan and international law."

Cavusoglu also criticized recent statement by the co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, saying that they have once again placed victimized Azerbaijan in the same group as Armenia, which is the occupying country.

"For the first time, at the governmental level, the Minsk trio [US, Russia, France], at the co-chair level, issued a statement... But it’s no different than the statements that the representatives, ambassadors made previously," he said.

He added that the Minsk group is "putting victimized Azerbaijan in the same basket with occupier Armenia. The whole world must understand that it won’t work like this, it can’t go on like this. Of course, up to now we have supported every effort to solve this problem peacefully."

Reiterating Turkey and the Turkish people's support to Azerbaijan in the conflict against Armenia, he said his visit is Turkey's way to show solidarity with Azerbaijan and its people.

"We will always side with our sister nation Azerbaijan. We will stand with you in grief and joy, today and tomorrow," said Cavusoglu, stressing: "Once again, I want to say strongly to the entire world that Upper Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan."

Underscoring that the occupied territories of Upper Karabakh – also known as Nagorno-Karabakh – and Azerbaijan have not been liberated, despite all resolutions, he said: "The international community to date has taken no concrete steps for the withdrawal of Armenia."

"UN Security Council Resolutions 822, 874 and 884 were not implemented. Likewise, the OSCE decisions were not implemented. More than 1 million of our escaped and displaced brothers and sisters are waiting to return to their homes," he stressed. 

"Despite all this, it was always Armenia that attacked."

Telling how Armenian forces first attacked Tovuz, and then the civilians at the line of contact and the "valiant Azerbaijani army," Cavusoglu said "as a result, Azerbaijan had to take matters into its own hands."

"Armenia, cornered Armenia, began to attack civilians in civilian settlements. They are attacking Ganja, Tartar, Mingachevir, Khizi and Absehron. This is a crime against humanity, a war crime, a violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention. In fact, this is a sign of the desperation that Armenia has fallen into." 

Calling on the international community to also support Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, he stressed that Turkey’s “sister nation Azerbaijan is showing that there cannot be, should not be any double standards of this matter either in the field or in negotiations." 

'Armenia has terrorist mentality'

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov also criticized Armenia, saying it has "a terrorist mentality" with no scruples over achieving its goals.

"The illegal presence of the Armenian army in Azerbaijani territory is the greatest threat and danger to both Azerbaijan and the region," Bayramov said.

Saying that the Armenian side has been targeting civilians since the clashes began, Bayramov said: "According to the information received as of this morning, we have 27 civilian casualties and 143 injured."

"This is not a new tactic. Armenia also used this tactic in the 1990s. They aim is to spread panic among civilians to achieve their goals," he added.

He added that the Armenia has no "red lines" but that "our red line is the withdrawal of the Armenian military forces from our country."

The ongoing clashes began on Sept. 27, when Armenian forces targeted civilian Azerbaijani settlements and military positions in the region, leading to casualties.

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.

Multiple UN resolutions, as well as many international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the invading 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 reached in 1994.

Many world powers, including Russia, France, and the US, have urged an immediate cease-fire. Turkey, meanwhile, has supported Baku's right to self-defense.