Support The Moscow Times!

Putin, Erdogan Urge 'Joint Efforts' to End Karabakh Conflict

The pair had their first official communication since the outbreak of the conflict Wednesday. Kremlin.ru

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called for international cooperation to end fierce clashes over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan, during a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin said.

The two leaders "stressed the urgent need for joint efforts to end the bloodshed as soon as possible and move to a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem," according to a Kremlin readout of the call  their first since fighting erupted late last month.

New clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenian separatists over the disputed region have claimed hundreds of lives, including dozens of civilians despite calls for peace and a ceasefire brokered in Moscow last week.

The ex-Soviet countries have been locked in long-simmering deadlock over Karabakh, which broke away from Azerbaijan after a war in the 1990s that left some 30,000 dead.

The new fighting, the worst since a 1994 ceasefire, has sparked fears of a regional conflict, with Turkey backing Azerbaijan and Armenia seeking to pull ex-Soviet ally Russia in on its side.

Turkey has been widely accused of sending pro-Ankara fighters from Syria to the fight in Karabakh to bolster Azerbaijan's troops and Putin on Wednesday voiced "serious concern" over the role of militants from the Middle East in the conflict.

Erdogan told Putin that "Turkey is in favour of a permanent solution in Nagorno-Karabakh" and also accused Armenia of "seeking to make its occupation [of Karabakh] permanent."

Co-chaired by France, Russia and the United States, the OSCE Minsk Group has worked to find a resolution to the decades-long conflict, and the Kremlin said Wednesday that Putin and Erdogan hope Turkey will play a role towards de-escalation as a permanent member.

Ongoing shelling by both sides has left a ceasefire agreed last week in Moscow hanging in the balance, but "both sides confirmed the importance of observing the humanitarian truce," the Kremlin said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more