Azerbaijan, Turkiye Discuss Armenia's Fresh Border Provocations, Military Cooperation

(MENAFN- AzerNews)

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Col-Gen Zakir Hasanov and his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar have discussed Armenia's recent border provocations, as well as military cooperation, Azernews reports, citing the ministry.

In a telephone conversation held on September 24, Hasanov detailed the operational situation that has emerged after the Azerbaijan army's resolute steps in response to the recent provocations committed by Armenian military formations, as well as the work for the modernization of the army.

Akar, for his part, emphasized that Turkiye stands by Azerbaijan as it has always done.

During the phone call, the sides also exchanged views on the prospects of the Azerbaijani-Turkish military cooperation.

Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stressed that Armenia must sign a peace agreement proposed by Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing the Turkish media.

Cavusoglu made the remarks at a meeting with the Turkish community at the Consulate General of Turkiye in Los Angeles, USA.

“For permanent peace and stability in the South Caucasus, the comprehensive peace agreement proposed by Azerbaijan should be signed between Baku and Yerevan as soon as possible. We support this process,” Cavusoglu emphasized.

Armenia needs peace and regional cooperation, Cavusoglu said underlining that Turkiye has appointed a special representative to normalize relations with Armenia.“However, due to the pressure on Armenia, they have not yet been able to take bold steps,” he added.

Furthermore, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has dismissed the information circulated in Armenian social media concerning the supposed shelling of the Basarkechar [Gegharkunik] region by the Azerbaijani army for provocative reasons, as well as the injury of Azerbaijani personnel on combat duty as a result of the Armenian military retaliation, Azernews reports.

This is the next provocative information spread by Armenia, the ministry wrote on its social media accounts.

'We categorically deny this information. The Azerbaijani army personnel was not wounded and there are no losses among the military equipment,' the ministry stressed.

To recap, Armenia periodically shells Azerbaijani military positions on liberated territories. Units of the Armenian armed forces carried out large-scale provocations along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border in Dashkasan, Kalbajar, and Lachin directions on the night of September 12 leading to 13.

The Armenian sabotage groups mined land and supply roads linking the positions of the Azerbaijani army units in different directions, taking advantage of the area's steep topography and existing ravine gaps.

The clashes between the sides ensued as a result of the urgent efforts made by the Azerbaijani armed forces to quell these activities. As a result, 79 armed forces personnel were killed, the ministry detailed.

So far, the Armenian government reported 207 losses among its own military personnel. Moreover, 293 soldiers and three civilians were wounded, and 20 soldiers were taken as prisoners.

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