Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 29
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
Turkey is investigating the visit of its citizens Ufuk Uras, Ali Bayramoglu, Said Cekinoglu and Erol Katircioglu to Azerbaijan’s occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region, a source in the Turkish Ministry of Justice told Trend Sept. 29.
After investigating this issue, the Turkish side will inform Azerbaijan in detail, according to the source.
Without documents and consent from relevant executive authorities, Turkish citizens Ufuk Uras, Ali Bayramoglu, Said Cekinoglu and Erol Katircioglu crossed the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan avoiding checkpoints, that is, deliberately traveled from territory of Armenia and illegally arrived in occupied Khankendi and other settlements on September 22.
Grave Crimes Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General's Office filed a criminal case under Criminal Code’s Article 318.2 (illegally crossing Azerbaijan’s state borders). All four individuals are accused under the abovementioned article. A measure of restraint in the form of arrest was chosen against them. They were declared internationally wanted.
An appeal was sent to the Turkish law enforcement to detain the four individuals.
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, in 1992 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 the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.