Turkey slams US congressmen buoying Karabakh occupation

By Merve Aydogan

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AA) - Turkey's prime minister on Thursday slammed members of the U.S. Congress for meeting with the so-called leader of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azerbaijani territory occupied by Armenians.

Taking reporters’ question in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, Binali Yildirim urged U.S. leaders to hold Armenia accountable for its crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh rather than meeting with occupiers and receiving a so-called “medal of gratitude” from them.

On Wednesday, a group of eight U.S. congressmen met at Washington's Capitol building with Bako Sahakyan, Nagorno-Karabakh’s so-called leader, and accepted the “medal.” The congressmen are known for supporting the occupation.

Azerbaijan and Armenia remain in dispute over the occupied Karabakh region. Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan in 1991 with Armenian military support, and a peace process has yet to be implemented.

Three UN Security Council Resolutions and two UN General Assembly Resolutions refer to Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe refers to the region as being occupied by Armenian forces.

Turkey reiterates that the dispute needs to be resolved within the framework of international law and Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Speaking at the Sixth Global Baku Forum in Azerbaijan, Yildirim added: "Turkey and Azerbaijan are working together in counter-terrorism and establishing regional security."

Reasserting that Upper Karabakh is Azerbaijan's "rightful cause," he stated that if there is a terror threat against Turkey or Azerbaijan from the occupied region, it will receive a response.

On Turkish-Azerbaijani ties, he said: "From now on, regional cooperation, cultural relations, and developing tourism will be enhanced as investments in infrastructure projects are increased."