Turkey slams extremist Armenians' provocation in Beirut

ANKARA

Turkey on Wednesday called on Lebanese authorities to launch an investigation over provocative acts in front of the Turkish Embassy in the capital Beirut.

“We strongly condemn the burning of the Turkish flag and our President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s picture by Armenian groups in front of our embassy in Beirut,” said a Foreign Ministry statement.

Turkey expects necessary steps to be taken towards the perpetrators of these brazen acts, it added.

The provocations come amid the conflict triggered on Sept. 27 between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Upper Karabakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), territory occupied by Armenia for nearly 30 years.

Turkey has steadfastly supported Azerbaijan in the conflict, stressing its right to regain illegally occupied land, and decried Armenian forces breaking cease-fires and attacking innocent civilians.