Turkey’s defense minister says Armenia must leave Azerbaijan's territory

Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar says Armenian forces must immediately leave the Republic of Azerbaijan’s territory.

In a phone call with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Monday, Akar demanded that the Armenian forces withdraw from the disputed South Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh and halt attacks on civilians.

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

The call came days after a ceasefire brokered by Moscow was enforced to pull the plug on 25 days of fighting there.

The agreement to pause hostilities in order to exchange prisoners and the bodies of those killed was approved by the foreign ministers of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan in marathon talks in the Russian capital on Friday.

The talks were the first diplomatic contact between the two former Soviet republics since the recent escalation that broke out in late September. About 500 people have been reported killed.

Despite truce efforts, overnight clashes continued into Monday morning, according to reports which said the sound of shelling was heard in the main city of Khankendi.

Forces backed by Armenia were also reported to have attacked the Azeri town of Barda, not far from the front line, on Monday.

The Azeri Defense Ministry said Armenian forces were not complying with the Russian-brokered ceasefire.

Armenia, for its part, accused the Republic of Azerbaijan of “intensively shelling the southern front,” according to Armenian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan.

She said “the adversary suffered great losses of manpower and military equipment.” No further details were given.

In the meantime, officials from the separatist government of the disputed region said their forces had inflicted losses on Azeri forces and that large-scale military operations were ongoing in the Hadrut area.

MG