Turkish, Azerbaijani foreign ministers meet in New York to discuss tensions in Karabakh

By Iclal Turan

NEW YORK (AA) — Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in New York to discuss escalated tensions in the region of Karabakh.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement that during the meeting, held on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Fidan and Bayramov discussed the current situation in Karabakh, which Azerbaijan liberated from nearly three decades of Armenian occupation in a 2020 war.

The meeting came as Azerbaijan said on Tuesday that it started "counter-terrorism" measures in Karabakh to uphold provisions outlined in a trilateral peace agreement with Russia and Armenia to end the 2020 conflict.

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

In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation during 44 days of clashes. The war ended with a Russia-brokered cease-fire.

Tensions between the two nations, however, continue despite ongoing talks over a long-term peace agreement.