Turkey: Karabakh deal 'great victory' for Azerbaijan

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - Congratulating Azerbaijan on liberating its occupied territories, Turkey's foreign minister on Tuesday called the Karabakh deal a "great victory" for Baku.

"We will continue to stand with Azerbaijan. This [deal] is a great success and victory for Azerbaijan. Lands, under occupation for 30 years are being liberated," Mevlut Cavusoglu told a news conference in the capital Ankara.

He said that Turkey is in contact with the parties on monitoring the deal to end the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.

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 sparked 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.

Speaking about FETO, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, Cavusoglu said US officials are finally starting to realize the threat they pose.

He said FETO members were the first to take part in post-election violence in Kyrgyzstan.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Turkey accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.