Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and his Azerbaijani counterpart Zakir Hasanov have discussed the latest tension and deadly clashes along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

Akar said Türkiye will continue to stand firmly by its Azerbaijani brothers, according to a statement by the Turkish National Defence Ministry on Thursday.

Stressing that Azerbaijan and Türkiye are "one nation, two states" — a standard phrase about the countries' close ties — he wished God's grace on the fallen soldiers and a speedy recovery to the wounded.

Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of "large-scale provocations" in recent days, saying saboteurs planted mines and Armenian forces carried out "intensive" firing on Azerbaijani positions.

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Over 150 killed

The actions by Armenian forces have led to a confrontation, according to Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry, with casualties on both sides, including 50 Azerbaijani soldiers.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said 100 Armenian soldiers had been killed in the recent border flare-up.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan.

In fall 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that were under Armenian occupation. The fighting ended with a deal brokered by Russia after Armenia accepted defeat.

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