Ambassador of Turkey to Sri Lanka Demet Sekercioglu told Sri Lanka media about the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
"I am deeply concerned about some biased articles stemming from a number of foreign news agencies published recently in the Sri Lankan media on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I would like to enlighten the Sri Lankan public opinion on some truths about the ongoing conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as Turkey’s position on the issue," Sekercioglu wrote in a statement posted by Colombo Times.
"On 27th September, the Armenian Armed Forces launched an intense shelling of Azerbaijan’s defence positions and civilian settlements with large caliber artillery and rockets along the Line of Contact in Nagorno-Karabakh. This is a clear violation of the ceasefire as well as the international law. In fact, this attack was the culmination of Armenian provocations, which initially started on 12th July in Tovuz and continued with frequent breaches of the ceasefire by the Armenian Armed Forces along the Line of Contact," she stated.
"In a state of frenzied desperation, Armenia is intensifying its attacks on the civilian population and infrastructure in Azerbaijan away from the conflict zone," the envoy noted, stressing that Azerbaijan is acting in full compliance with the international law invoking the right to self-defence enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter.
"Turkey strongly condemns the Armenian attacks which have caused civilian casualties, resulting in a clear violation of the international law. Armenia’s provocations have now reached to a level that directly targets international and regional peace and stability. With these attacks, Armenia once again proves that it is the biggest obstacle to peace and stability in the region," she said.
The ambassador noted that Turkey fully supports Azerbaijan with unwavering solidarity in this process. "Our support for Azerbaijan is not only based on our special bonds, but also stems from the reality that Azerbaijan stands on the right side of the international law," she explained.
Sekercioglu said that Turkey wants to see a negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity in accordance with the international law as well as UN Security Council Resolutions and OSCE decisions to ensure enduring peace and stability in the region.
The envoy satressed that Turkey urges international community to stop this lawlessness and put pressure on Armenia to resume sincere, substantive and result oriented negotiations in good faith.
