Turkish parliament details Armenia's rights violations

Turkey's parliament on Thursday approved a report on rights violations by the Armenian side during last fall's battle to liberate the Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh (Upper Karabakh).

"During the war, known as the second Karabakh war, the Armenian army systematically violated international human rights," explained Hakan Cavusolgu, the head of parliament's Human Rights Committee.

He added that the army "used banned weapons such as cluster bombs and phosphorous bullets, deliberately attacked civilian residences, cemeteries, schools, healthcare buildings, economic sub-units such as electricity, gas, water and pipelines, and infrastructure foundations, as well as natural and cultural facilities."

During the war, the Armenian army launched blatant attacks on civilians and civil settlements, Cavusoglu said.

"These attacks are war crimes," he argued.

As a result of the war, 94 civilians died, 405 civilians were wounded, and 3,326 houses, 504 civil facilities, and 120 apartments were destroyed, he added.

KARABAKH CONFLICT

In 1991, the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh (Upper Karabakh), internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, and seven adjacent regions.

On Sept. 27, 2020, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, which ended under a Nov. 10, 2020 deal, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from Armenian army occupation.