A statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday said there will be an election in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, contrary to expectations and decisions made by the international community. Armenia-backed separatists in the Nagorno-Karabakh region set up a “republic” following an armed conflict in the early 1990s between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory and regularly hold elections, which are dubbed “illegitimate” by the international community.The statement said the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the primary roadblock to peace, stability and cooperation in the South Caucasus, adding that it hinders relations and cooperation in the region. The statement also mentions that the illegitimate elections constitute an apparent violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and OSCE principles.
The statement said that during a period when there are intensive talks to find a peaceful solution to the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group, it is obvious that holding “parliamentary elections” in the Nagorno-Karabakh region is a move that will negatively affect efforts for a peaceful solution.
As the Foreign Ministry condemns the event, which will violate the political unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, it will not recognize the illegitimate elections, which do not have any binding nature under international law, the statement said.
