Tuesday, March 31 2020 12:05

ArmInfo.The statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry regarding the elections in Nagorno-Karabakh is another manifestation of this country's hostile policy towards the  Armenian people. This is stated in a statement by the Armenian  Foreign Ministry after the Turkish Foreign Ministry appealed to the  international community and urged them not to recognize the elections  in Artsakh.

"Adhering to its traditional position on the selective interpretation  of international documents, Turkey, on the one hand, refers to UN  Security Council resolutions and, on the other, ignores their appeal  to countries located directly in the region to refrain from any  hostile actions in the context of the Karabakh conflict.  Meanwhile ,  the same Turkey has been blocking the Republic of Armenia for decades  and supports aggressive and barbaric actions against the people of  Artsakh, including in April 2016.  The Turkish Foreign Ministry's  references to the principles of the OSCE and the Minsk Process are no  less groundless. We remind you that in 1992 the OSCE / CSCE decision  of March 24, which formed the basis of the Minsk process, mentioned  elected representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh as a participant in the  process. In order to have elected representatives, there must be  elections, and from this point of view, the elections in Artsakh not  only do not contradict, but are based on the logic of a peaceful  settlement and fundamental documents.

Turkey's attempts to act as a defender of international law and its  calls to the international community are more than unsuccessful,  especially in the light of its ongoing violations of the rights of  its own peoples, encroachments on the territorial integrity of  neighboring states, as well as an aggressive policy that violates  international law and democracy, " emphasized in the Armenian Foreign  Ministry.

Earlier, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement in which it  stressed that Ankara does not recognize the results of the elections  in Nagorno-Karabakh and considers them illegitimate. "The so-called  presidential and parliamentary elections to be held March 31, 2020 in  the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are a  manifestation of efforts to unilaterally legitimize the current  situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is contrary to international  law. This step is a flagrant violation of international law, in that  the number of UN Security Council resolutions and OSCE principles,  "the Turkish Foreign Ministry assured.

At the same time, Ankara believes that at the stage when negotiations  are under way within the framework of the OSCE Minsk process to find  a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the elections  "undermine efforts to achieve a peaceful and lasting settlement.."

"We urge the international community, including the OSCE Minsk Group,  not to recognize these elections.  Turkey will not recognize these  illegitimate elections, which will be another violation of the  sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. As a member of  the OSCE Minsk Group, Turkey will continue to support efforts to find  a fair and long-term solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, "the  Turkish Foreign Ministry summed up.