Sputnik News Service, Russia

Saturday 4:50 PM UTC

Erdogan Says Opening of Border With Armenia Impossible Until Nagorno-Karabakh Settlement

 

 

BAKU, September 15 (Sputnik) – The opening of the border between Turkey and Armenia and the establishment of diplomatic ties remain out of question until the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is settled, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.

 

"Without the settlement of the conflict, without the return of refugees to their homes, talks on opening borders and establishing any relations are out of question," Erdogan said, speaking at the Azerbaijani military parade marking the centenary of the victory of the Caucasian Islamic Army, who fought on behalf of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and captured Baku from Armenian Dashnaks and Bolshevik forces.

 

The statement comes as Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hikmat Hajiyev earlier in the day accused Armenia of shelling several areas controlled by the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, citing the data of the country’s defense ministry.

 

In a comment to Sputnik, the diplomat stressed that Baku would resist attempts to drag out the conflict settlement and warned that "the responsibility for the steps that Azerbaijan could have to take, applying its inalienable rights on the basis of the UN Charter, will entirely rest with Armenia."

 

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict dates back to 1988, when the Armenian-dominated Nagorno-Karabakh region, which was then part of the Azerbaijan Socialist Republic, announced its willingness to secede and join the Armenian republic instead. The military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan erupted after the region proclaimed its independence and the creation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in 1991.

 

In 1994 a ceasefire agreement was reached, however, in 2016 the two sides renewed clashes leading to numerous casualties on both sides.