UPDATE - Turkish officials praise Azerbaijan on Karabakh victory

UPDATES WITH REMARKS OF TURKISH DEFENSE MINISTER, VICE PRESIDENT AND SPOKESMAN CELIK; MINOR EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Dilan Pamuk and Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) - The speaker of Turkey's parliament on Tuesday congratulated Azerbaijan for its recent victories in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

"Azerbaijan's legitimate right and victory have finally been acknowledged by the enemy. Armenia has had to retreat and surrender from Karabakh which it had occupied and where it had conducted massacres," Mustafa Sentop said on Twitter.

Sentop also congratulated the Azerbaijan's army and commemorated the martyrs.

"A tragic page of history has ended with Azerbaijan's victory in Karabakh."

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, too, applauded Baku on Twitter.

"Karabakh is now free. Karabakh is Azerbaijan. Turkey will remain by Azerbaijan's side both in the field and on the table," Kalin said.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said: "'Karabakh is Azerbaijan,' we shouted out, faithfully, as one voice. Now Karabakh is Azerbaijan. May your joy, our joy be eternal dear Azerbaijan," on social media.

"The great fight ongoing for years has been crowned with victory, Azerbaijan has won a clear victory on the field," said the spokesman of the ruling Justice and Development Party Omer Celik on Twitter.

"Turkey, with our president's determined attitude, has been by sister Azerbaijan's side since the beginning of the operation. It is seen that Turkey stands with Azerbaijan on the table regarding the truce agreement, as did on the field," he added.

National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Turkey will continue to stand by Azerbaijan during the process of return of all Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenia, of maintaining peace in the region, and meeting the conditions of the cease-fire.

“We congratulate the victory of our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters who have fought for a right struggle to reclaim their own lands that have been occupied for nearly 30 years, and to end Armenia's barbarous attacks,” Akar said on Twitter.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier announced that Azerbaijan and Armenia signed an agreement to create the necessary conditions for a long-term and comprehensive solution to the longstanding conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh.

The announcement brought scenes of enthusiastic celebrations in many Azerbaijani cities, with thousands carrying both Azerbaijani and Turkish flags, singing national anthems and dancing in the streets.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics over Upper Karabakh have remained tense since 1991, but fresh clashes broke out on Sept. 27. Since then, Armenia has repeatedly attacked Azerbaijani civilians and forces, even violating three humanitarian cease-fire agreements.