Erdoğan: Armenian occupiers should withdraw from Karabakh

The Turkish president on Thursday reiterated his call for the withdrawal of the occupying Armenian forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the rest of Azerbaijan.

"If Armenia withdraws from occupied the Azerbaijani territories, the permanent peace will be achieved in region," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed in his address to the members of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

"Turkey will support Azerbaijan by all means in line with 'two states, one nation' principle," Turkish leader reiterated as delivering a speech.

"It is unacceptable that the United States, Russia and France are involved in a search for a ceasefire in a disputed Caucasus region given they neglected problems there for some 30 years," Erdoğan said in a statement as criticizing the Western efforts on the Karabakh issue.

"I would like to once again state that we stand with our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters to reclaim their occupied territories and to protect their homeland," Erdoğan told the parliament in Ankara.

Baku had no choice but to take matters into its own hands, the president added.

"I warn those who support this rogue state in its occupation of Upper Karabakh will answer to the common conscience," Erdoğan said as referring to Armenia.

In his opening speech, parliament speaker Mustafa Şentop said that Turkey will continue to support Azerbaijan in their rightful cause.

He recalled relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are exemplary.

"The principle of 'two states, one nation,' is not only a slogan or a historical resolve, but also a principle that dominates Turkey-Azerbaijan relations," he noted.

Border clashes broke out last Sunday when Armenian forces targeted Azerbaijani civilian settlements and military positions, leading to casualties.

Azerbaijan's parliament declared a state of war in some of its cities and regions following Armenia's border violations and attacks in the occupied Upper Karabakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, region.

On Monday, Azerbaijan declared partial military mobilization amid the clashes.