Turkey tells Russia to press Armenia for Karabakh pullout

Hulusi Akar told his Russian counterpart of 'the necessity for Armenia to put an end to its attacks and to withdraw from the territories it occupies'

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab Staff & Agencies

12 October, 2020

Turkish defence minister Hulusi Akar spoke with his Russian counterpart on the phone [Getty]

Turkey's Defence Minister Hulusi Akar on Monday urged his Russian counterpart to convince Armenia to withdraw from the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, Turkish officials said.

A ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan was failing to hold on Monday as the two sides, which have been engaged in bitter fighting over the enclave for the last two weeks, clashed again.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a breakaway region of Azerbaijan controlled by Armenians since a 1990s war and whose independence is recognised by no other state.

During a telephone call, Akar told Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu of "the necessity for Armenia to put an end to its attacks and to withdraw from the territories it occupies," Ankara's defence ministry said.

Akar also said, "Azerbaijan will not wait 30 more years for a solution", adding that "Turkey is on the side of Azerbaijan in its campaign to take back its own lands".

Under a ceasefire negotiated in Moscow the parties had agreed to pause hostilities in order to exchange prisoners and the dead. Azerbaijani officials insisted it was only a temporary measure that would not halt its campaign.

Turkey at the weekend hailed the ceasefire as an "important first step" but said it would not replace a lasting solution.

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