BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1
Trend:
The Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) condemns the so-called “presidential and parliamentary elections” in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which constitute a clear violation of the norms and principles of international law, including Helsinki Final Act of 1975, and the related UN Security Council Resolutions, Trend reports with reference to the organization’s statement.
“Holding the so-called “elections” in the occupied territories undermines the efforts within the OSCE Minsk Process to find a peaceful settlement for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," ” said the statement.
Turkic Council calls on the OSCE Minsk Group and the international community not to recognize these so-called "elections".
The Member States of the Turkic Council reaffirm their commitments to the norms and principles of international law and reiterate the importance of the early settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, on the basis of sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan, said the Turkic Council.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.