3 yıl önce

Joint Turkey-Russia centre begins monitoring Karabakh truce

Following the November 10 truce, Turkey and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a joint center to monitor the peace deal on Azerbaijani territories retaken from Armenia's control.

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Azerbaijani, Russian and Turkish officials at the opening ceremony of Turkish-Russian Joint Observation Centre established to observe the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan on January 30, 2021.

A joint Turkish and Russian centre to monitor a ceasefire deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia has become operational in Upper Karabakh.

Established in the Merzilli village of the Aghdam region, the centre will monitor the implementation of the Russian-brokered agreement which was reached in November after six weeks of intense fighting.

Following the November 10 truce, Turkey and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a joint centre to monitor the peace deal on Azerbaijani territories retaken from Armenia control.

Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov, Turkey's Deputy Minister of National Defence Yunus Emre Karaosmanoglu, and Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin were in attendance of the opening ceremony of the centre, where 60 Turkish and 60 Russian troops would be on duty.

Stressing the importance of the centre in monitoring and implementing the peace deal, Karaosmanoglu praised the efforts of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to bring peace and stability to the region.

Delivering a speech at the ceremony, Hasanov wished success for the Russian and Turkish staff at the centre.

Also addressing the event, Fomin said the centre will serve peace and stability in the region.

Decades-long conflict

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan had been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognised as Azerbaijani territory, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted on September 27, 2020, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian ceasefire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan retook several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages that remained under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades.

Despite the November 10 deal ending the conflict, the Armenian army several times violated the agreement and killed several Azerbaijani soldiers and a civilian, according to the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry.

The truce is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.