Turkish president calls Armenia's violations of 2020 peace deal 'unacceptable'

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) – Armenia’s recent violations of a 2020 peace deal – resulting in new border tensions with Azerbaijan – are "unacceptable," the Turkish president said Wednesday, reiterating Ankara's support for Azerbaijan.

Speaking to the public in the capital Ankara, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye sees the latest border tension as the result of Armenia's violation of the November 2020 deal ending the Karabakh war that resulted in the victory of Azerbaijan, adding that he finds it "unacceptable."

Erdogan also reiterated Türkiye's support for Azerbaijan, saying that the world should know that Türkiye stands by its Azerbaijani brothers and sisters.

Türkiye hopes Armenia will step back from its current mistaken path to instead work for peace, he said, adding that Armenia will face "consequences" for its "aggressive attitude" and violating the agreement.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have had tense relations since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

The 2020 conflict saw Azerbaijan liberate several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia, before Moscow brokered a deal to end the fighting that Nov. 9.