Turkey's Çavuşoğlu: Armenian attacks on civilian settlements constitute crimes against humanity

Armenian attacks on the civilian settlements in Azerbaijan constitute the crimes against humanity, and showing their desperation, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stressed in his remark as speaking to the reporters during a press conference with his Azeri counterpart in the capital Baku on Tuesday.

The top diplomat also harshly criticized OSCE Minsk Group by pointing out that victimized Azerbaijan could not be grouped in with the occupying Armenian side.

"To put these two countries on equal footing means awarding the occupier. The world must be on the side of those who are right, namely on the side of Azerbaijan," Çavuşoğlu said on a visit to Baku, adding: "There are calls for a ceasefire, but what will happen next?"

Çavuşoğlu stressed that Turkey's "sister nation Azerbaijan is showing that there cannot be, should not be any double standards of this matter either in the field or in negotiations."

"We will [continue to] support the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, just as we did with Georgia, Ukraine, Syria, and Iraq's territorial integrity," Turkish FM Çavuşoğlu told a joint press conference.

Separately, Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov also criticized Armenia, saying it has "a terrorist mentality" with no scruples over achieving its goals.

The ongoing clashes began on Sept. 27, when Armenian forces targeted civilian Azerbaijani settlements and military positions in the region, leading to casualties.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Upper Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

Multiple UN resolutions, as well as many international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the invading forces.

The OSCE Minsk Group-co-chaired by France, Russia, and the US-was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but to no avail. A cease-fire, however, was reached in 1994.

Many world powers, including Russia, France, and the US, have urged an immediate cease-fire. Turkey, meanwhile, has supported Baku's right to self-defense.