France’s Karabakh resolution a ‘disaster,’ says Erdoğan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday called a French parliament resolution on Karabakh a “complete disaster,’’ and an attack on the sovereignty rights of Azerbaijan.

Turkey ally Azerbaijan did not attack anyone or their land, but liberated its own lands which were Armenia for nearly three decades despite UN and OSCE resolutions, NTV cited Erdoğan as saying in a video speech delivered at the opening ceremony of a newly built motorway in eastern Turkey.

“The decision taken the previous day in the parliament of France, the co-chair of the [OSCE] Minsk Group, is a complete disaster beyond a scandal,” the Turkish president said.

On Nov. 26, The French Senate signed a resolution recognizing the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The decision is not legally binding, but has a symbolic significance.

Ankara and Paris are at odds over a string of issues, including Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan populated by ethnic Armenians where fighting broke out between Azerbaijan and Armenia between September and November, when a Russian-brokered ceasefire deal was put into effect.

Turkey has thrown its full support behind Azerbaijan in the conflict.

“We hope that the international public will react to this approach, which is dangerous and will threaten all states, initiated by France,” Erdoğan said, referring to the French resolution.