Turkey to reveal Armenia's 'war crimes' in Karabakh

Ahmet Sertan Usul

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's Ombudsman Institution has prepared a report on the alleged war crimes committed by Armenia during the six-weeks of fighting in the Karabakh region.

The report will be sent to relevant institutions and organizations in Turkey and around the world, Turkey's chief ombudsman said on Tuesday.

Seref Malkoc said they inspected civil settlements being hit by missiles during field visits to Azerbaijan, as well as territories occupied by Armenia.

"Deliberately targeting civil settlements far from the frontline is a crime against humanity," he told Anadolu Agency. "This is incompatible with fundamental rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Geneva Convention."

Malkov said the report also includes how prohibited weapons and bombs were used, and how schools, places of worship, homes were demolished.

"This report will serve as evidence in international trials," the ombudsman said. "They turned mosques into pigpens and destroyed graves of Muslims."

Armenia occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a region recognized as part of Azerbaijan, in the 1990s.

Fresh clashes on the dispute erupted on Sept. 27, and continued until a Russia-brokered cease-fire was signed on Nov. 10.

Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces, and violated three humanitarian cease-fire agreements during the 44-day conflict.

Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from occupation amid the heavy fighting.

The truce, being monitored by both Russia and Turkey, is being seen as a victory for Azerbaijan. Under the deal, Armenians are handing over swathes of territory they occupied for decades to Azerbaijan.

Armenian protesters have called for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation for "accepting defeat." The country's foreign and defense ministers have already stepped down.