ANKARA, October 2. /TASS/. Turkey expects Azerbaijan to "liberate its territories" in Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday.

"We support the friendly and fraternal Azerbaijan in every way possible and we will continue to do it. This struggle will continue until Karabakh is liberated from occupation," the Turkish leader said, according to NTV.

Meanwhile, the Turkish President tied the escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh to the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and in Syria.

"If we connect the crises in the Caucasus, in Syria and in the Mediterranean, you will see that this is an attempt to surround Turkey," Erdogan said.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The area experienced flare-ups of violence in the summer of 2014, in April 2016 and this past July. Azerbaijan and Armenia have imposed martial law and launched mobilization efforts. Both parties to the conflict have reported casualties, among them civilians.