Armenia continues to commit war crimes by targetting civilian settlements in Azerbaijan

Occupying Armenian forces continue to target civilian settlements in Azerbaijan, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Friday.

"Armenia, pursuing an insidious ploy, continues to target districts of Goranboy, Tartar, Aghdam and Fuzuli," the ministry said on Twitter.

"Attempting to make the war spill over into other civilian settlements outside of Karabakh, Armenia continues to commit crimes of humanity and war!," it added.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Upper Karabakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Some 20% of Azerbaijan's territory has remained under illegal occupation by Armenia for roughly three decades.

Four UN Security Council and two UN General Assembly resolutions, as well as many international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the occupying forces.

New clashes erupted on Sept. 27, and since then Armenia has continued attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces, leading to casualties.

Many world powers, including Russia, France, and the US, have urged a new cease-fire. Turkey, meanwhile, has supported Baku's right to self-defense and demanded a withdrawal of Armenia's occupying forces.