Russian group to discuss Karabakh on Friday in Turkey

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's national defense minister announced Thursday that a Russian delegation would visit Turkey to discuss a peace deal reached on Karabakh.

"Tomorrow, a large delegation will come [to Turkey] from Russia,” Hulusi Akar told parliament's planning and budget committee. “Tactically and technically, it will be discussed who will locate where and who will do what [in Karabakh]."

Akar visited Azerbaijan’s defense chief Zakir Hasanov on Wednesday to hail the liberation of territories from Armenian occupation as a result of a Russia-brokered deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The minister attended a ceremony held in connection with the Azerbaijani army's successes against Armenian occupying forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

Relations between the ex-Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 but new clashes erupted Sept. 27.

On Nov. 10, both countries signed a Russia-brokered agreement for a long-term and comprehensive solution to the three-decade-long conflict.

The deal declared a complete cease-fire and end to more than six weeks of fighting. Baku freed nearly 300 settlements, including the strategic city of Shusha, during this period.

In his speech on Wednesday, Akar said the relationship between Turkey and Azerbaijan will last forever as "two states, one nation."