Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani land has been acknowledged by the international community as well as international institutions including the United Nations, the Council of the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Turkish parliament speaker Mustafa Şentop stated on Wednesday.
"Who says that Armenia is an occupier? The U.N. Security Council. The European Council. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Thus, it is a proven fact that Armenia was an occupier in Azerbaijani territories according to international law," Şentop told Turkmenistan's parliament in an online meeting.
"Beyond friendship and brotherhood, Turkey's taking the side of Azerbaijan is a matter of Azerbaijan being in the right," he added.
"Turkey is determined to continue the struggle to work for the safety of everyone and to keep all humanity alive in peace and stability.”
"We do not hesitate to take the initiative to resolve disputes in our region and the world," he added.
Turkey views Armenia as a threat to Azerbaijan and the region, he pointed out.
Şentop said Armenia's attacks on civilian targets in neighboring Azerbaijan over the years violated the Geneva Convention.
"Turkey believes that Armenia, which poses a threat to Azerbaijan and the region, is a state acting irresponsibly."
Telling how Armenian Parliament Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan left the meeting before his speech, Şentop said he was expecting Mirzoyan to hear him out.
"I expected him to not leave this meeting and to listen to the words said in response to his words. If you say something against a country, you should also have the courage to hear out its response," he said.
Relations between the former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, and seven adjacent regions.
On Sept. 27, 2020, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and went on to violate several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.
After six weeks of fighting last year, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a Russia-brokered cease-fire for the region.