Armenia's long occupation of Azerbaijani soil 'proven'

ANKARA

The international community and institutions have proven that Armenia was the occupier of Azerbaijani territory for 30 years, Turkey's parliament speaker said on Wednesday.

"Beyond friendship and brotherhood, Turkey's taking the side of Azerbaijan is a matter of Azerbaijan being in the right," Mustafa Sentop told Turkmenistan's parliament in an online meeting.

"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 added.
Sentop 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, Sentop 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.

Sentop also reiterated that Armenia had occupied Azerbaijani territory for 30 years.

"Who says that Armenia is an occupier? The UN Security Council … Says who? The European Council. Says who? 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," he added.

Relations between the former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, or Upper 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.

During the 44-day conflict, which ended in a deal signed last Nov. 10, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the Armenian occupation.

Turkmenistan a 'sister country'

Sentop also called Turkmenistan a sister country to Turkey.

"Turkmenistan is the eternal resting place of Sultan Alparslan, the great commander who made Anatolia our homeland. Even though there were some times when our two countries kept away from each other, the bond of love between our countries has never been broken," he said.

Alparslan, who opened the gates of Anatolia to Turks in 1071 by defeating the Byzantine army, is remembered for his heroism and military strategy.

He was the second sultan of the Seljuk Empire.