Turkey, Russia joint center in Upper Karabakh to operate soon - defense ministry

Discussions on technical details about the establishment and responsibilities of the Turkish-Russian Joint Center were completed and an agreement was signed, said Turkey's National Defense Ministry on Tuesday.

The ministry said on Twitter that necessary work is underway to make the center operate as soon as possible, reminding that on Nov. 11, a memorandum of understanding had been signed via video conference by Turkish and Russian defense ministers, Hulusi Akar and Sergey Shoigu.

Through the joint center in Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkish and Russian military delegations plan to monitor and control the implementation of the cease-fire between Azerbaijan and Armenia, it added.

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

When new clashes erupted on Sept. 27, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the Armenian occupation.

On Nov. 10, the two countries signed a Russia-brokered agreement to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

The truce is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have been withdrawing as the agreement specified.