27 February 2017•Update: 27 February 2017
By Satuk Bugra Kutlugun
ANKARA
Turkey's Foreign Ministry has condemned the 'heavy weapon attacks that were carried out against Azerbaijan' on early Saturday.
The ministry issued a written statement late Sunday, offering condolences to fallen Azerbaijani soldiers' families and people of Azerbaijan.
"Armenia has been keeping one-fifth of the Azerbaijani territory under occupation for a quarter century," the statement said. "We invite Armenia to follow ceasefire rules and expect the heavy clash will not occur again."
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said in a written statement that the Armenian armed units broke ceasefire with Azerbaijan a total of 117 times throughout Sunday, using 60mm mortars (15 shells), 82mm mortars (18 shells), and a D-44 gun (one shell).
Reported by Azeri state news agency AzerTAc, the ceasefire was violated in "Chilaburt village in Tartar district, Shuraabad, Bah Qarvand, Yusifjanli, villages in Aghdam district, Kuropatkino village in Khojavand district, Horadiz, Ashaghi Veysalli villages in Fuzuli district, as well as nameless hills in Goranboy, Tartar, Aghdam, Khojavand , Fuzuli and Jabrayil districts."
Clashes in the occupied Karabakh region, which pro-Armenian militia occupied in 1993, are nothing new.
In April, 2016, more than 270 military personnel lost their lives in the worst-ever breach of a 1994 treaty between the sides, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.
Three UN Security Council Resolutions (853, 874 and 884), and United Nations General Assembly Resolutions 19/13 and 57/298 refer to Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe refers to the region as being occupied by Armenian forces.
