Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 23 2006
Muslim Leaders Urge Armenian Withdrawal from Karabakh Enclave Print
Friday , 23 June 2006
Leaders of Muslim states urged the immediate and unconditional
withdrawal of ethnic Armenian forces from the disputed
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in Azerbaijan in a declaration signed in
Baku on Wednesday.
In a document called the Baku Declaration, the 57 member states of
the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) said they "strongly
condemn the aggression" of Armenia against Azerbaijan and "urge the
immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian
occupying forces."
The Armenian-majority enclave of Karabakh seceded from Azerbaijan in
the late 1980s, sparking a six-year conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan that claimed 25,000 lives and displaced hundreds of
thousands of people.
Despite a 1994 ceasefire, tensions remain high in the mountainous
region — one of the world’s most militarized zones.
The OIC declaration called on member states to "support Azerbaijan on
the issue of full restoration of its territorial integrity."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
