US House speaker's remarks in Armenia 'aim to sabotage diplomatic efforts'

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye on Monday slammed the US House speaker's recent remarks made during her visit to Armenia, saying they aim to "sabotage diplomatic efforts" in the region.

"The statements made by the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her visit to Armenia, which are incompatible with current and historical facts, completely devoid of good faith, reflecting a biased point of view, and sabotaging diplomatic efforts, are unacceptable," Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Twitter.

Pelosi on Sunday condemned Azerbaijan for what she described as "illegal" border attacks on Armenia, and pledged US support for Armenia's sovereignty.

Calling on the US administration to clarify whether the statements by Pelosi and "few lobby-backed politicians, aiming for Armenian diaspora's votes," reflect the official view of the state, Oktay urged all international actors to act "fairly" and "responsibly."

"At a time when lasting peace and stability in the region is sorely needed, I invite all international actors to act fairly, consciously and, above all, responsibly," he added.

The Turkish official pledged to continue to stand by Azerbaijan, which has been "struggling to liberate its homeland that has been unjustly and unlawfully occupied for 30 years."

Pelosi's visit came after Azerbaijan and Armenia reached a cease-fire following recent border clashes that claimed lives on both sides.

Relations between the former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Baku liberated several cities, villages and settlements from Yerevan during new clashes in the fall of 2020, which ended after a Moscow-backed truce. The peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.