Erdogan tells Putin that Armenia must negotiate in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Turkish presidency

© Reuters/POOL FILE PHOTO: Russian President Putin meets with Turkish President Erdogan in Moscow

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Saturday that Armenia must be convinced to negotiate in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan and called for a peaceful resolution, the Turkish Presidency said.

At least 1,000 people have died in nearly six weeks of fighting in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but populated and controlled by ethnic Armenians. Erdogan has previously said Turkey and Russia could work together to solve the conflict.

In a statement, the presidency said Erdogan told Putin that Armenia must withdraw from Azeri lands it is occupying and “stated the Armenian leadership must be convinced to sit down at the negotiating table”.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also held a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, the Turkish foreign ministry said.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Catherine Evans)