Top Turkish diplomat speaks with Russian counterpart

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's foreign minister on Tuesday spoke with his Russian counterpart in a telephone conversation, diplomatic sources said.

Mevlut Cavusoglu and Sergey Lavrov discussed issues related to Upper Karabakh, Ukraine, and the recent arrest and release of Russian nationals in Turkey, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

On Monday two Russian nationals were released after being arrested along with a Turkish national after taking unauthorized footage via UAV of a research and development center in Istanbul.

- Upper Karabakh

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted Sept. 27, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the Armenian occupation.

The two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement Nov. 10 to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

The truce is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have been withdrawing in line with the agreement.