Turkey: Scholarships for Azerbaijani martyrs' children

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) is offering private scholarships to the children of Azerbaijanis martyred in clashes with Armenia, a Turkish official announced Sunday.

YTB chairman Abdullah Eren said on public broadcaster TRT Avaz that Turkey wanted to provide an education to the children of soldiers martyred in clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia for the region of Upper Karabakh and its surrounding areas last year.

Eren said the YTB would earmark a special capacity for such children in its Turkiye Scholarships program for undergraduate, graduate, research and language education opportunities in Turkey for international students and researchers.

As in every field, Turkey stands with its Azerbaijani brothers in the field of education as well, Eren added.

- Liberation of Karabakh

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as an Azerbaijani territory, and seven adjacent regions.

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

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

Despite the deal ending the conflict, the Armenian army several times violated the agreement and martyred several Azerbaijani soldiers and a civilian, as well as wounded few people, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

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.