Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 13
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Ankara will continue to support Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Turkish TV channel TRT Haber reported on Nov. 13.
The prime minister made the remarks at a press briefing held after the third meeting of the Supreme Council on Strategic Partnership between Azerbaijan and Turkey.
"The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is as significant for Turkey as it is important for Azerbaijan; it represents a problem for Ankara too," the Turkish PM said.
"The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is one of the main issues on the agenda of Turkish foreign policy. It is impossible that Ankara left this matter without attention," Erdogan underscored.
Turkish PM said Ankara continues and will continue to provide unconditional support to Azerbaijan to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The OSCE Minsk Group has a great responsibility on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Erdogan said.
The Turkish PM went on to add that the political relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey are at a perfect level and there are no problems between the states.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.