BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 21. Karabakh is Azerbaijan's land, and any other status is unacceptable, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense said, Trend reports.
"We'll continue to support our Azerbaijani brothers in their just struggle. We are monitoring the measures taken in Karabakh in response to the provocations of the Armenian armed forces for a long time, the decision to suspend the anti-terrorist activities [conducted on September 19–20], and the latest situation in the region," the ministry also said.
The Minister of National Defense of Türkiye Yasar Guler called his Azerbaijani counterpart, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, and noted that Türkiye, as always, stands by Azerbaijan.
Guler congratulated the Azerbaijan Defense Minister on the successful completion of the anti-terrorist activities.
Besides, the Turkish minister expressed deep condolences to the families of the military servicemen who became martyrs and wished a speedy recovery to all the injured persons.
In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement [signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war], to stop large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region, to disarm and withdraw formations of the Armenian armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan, to neutralize their military infrastructure, to ensure the safety of the peaceful population returning to the territories liberated from occupation, civil servants involved in construction and reconstruction works, and Azerbaijan's military personnel, as well as to restore the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan, anti-terrorist measures have been conducted in the region.
Civilians and infrastructure objects weren't targets during localized anti-terrorist measures carried out in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region.
Only military targets belonging to illegal armed formations of the separatist regime were put out of action with the use of high-precision weapons available in the arsenal of the Azerbaijani Army.
Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian residents of Karabakh, received through the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement], an agreement was reached on the suspension of anti-terrorist activities of local nature on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) under the following conditions:
The Armenian armed forces formations and Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region shall lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and fully disarm. The units of the armed forces of Armenia shall leave the territory of Azerbaijan, and the Armenian illegal armed formations shall be disbanded.
In parallel, all weapons and heavy equipment are surrendered.
The implementation of the above-mentioned processes is ensured in coordination with the Russian peacekeeping contingent.