Turkish speaker: Rights of one million Azerbaijanis violated

More than one million Azerbaijanis have been expelled from their homes as a result of the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia, Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek said in his address on the occasion of the 64th anniversary of the International Day of Human Rights, Trend news agency reported referring to Anadolu agency.

Cicek said the occupation violates the rights of one million Azerbaijanis.

The speaker urged the international community to pay attention to human rights violation around the world.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.