Armenian, Azeri forces say truce is observed in Karabakh

Armenian and Azeri forces say they are observing a ceasefire recently agreed between the two sides in the Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh following a new spate of violence in the disputed territory.

"The ceasefire was largely observed overnight along the Karabakh frontline," the Armenia-backed Defense Ministry in Karabakh said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry also stated that its troops were "strictly abiding by the ceasefire agreement."

The deal was hammered out on April 5 by the Azerbaijani and Armenian army chiefs during a meeting in the Russian capital, Moscow.

It was reached after at least 75 people were reported killed since April 1, when fighting broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh. Both sides accuse each other of starting the latest outbreak of violence.

In another development on Wednesday, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan called on the global community to recognize the right of the Karabakh region to determine its own future.

"They want to determine their own fate and their own future," Sargsyan said after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, adding, "They expect only one thing from the international community, namely the recognition of this right."

For her part, Merkel urged the two sides to the Karabakh conflict "to do everything in their power to stop the bloodshed and loss of life," adding that international mediation attempts are "of the greatest urgency" over the issue.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Russia of siding with Armenia in the Karabakh crisis."Russia says Turkey is taking sides. If one is looking for those who are taking sides the most significant country taking sides is Russia.

Russia took sides in Ukraine, Georgia and now in Syria." Erdogan said in a speech broadcast live on Wednesday.

The remarks came as Ankara has vowed to stand by Azerbaijan, saying it backs Baku "to the end" amid its clashes with Armenians over the Karabakh region.

SS