Turkey hails Azerbaijan 'gains' after Karabakh deal

Turkey vocally backed Azerbaijan in six weeks of fighting that erupted over the ethnic Armenian separatist region of Azerbaijan.

"Our dear Azerbaijan achieved significant gains in the field and at the [negotiating] table. I wholeheartedly congratulate this blessed success," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted.

"We will continue to be one nation, one heart with our dear Azerbaijani brothers."

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday he had signed an "unspeakably painful" deal with Azerbaijan and Russia bringing the conflict to an end.

His announcement was followed by chaotic scenes in the Armenian capital Yerevan in which angry protesters seized control of parliament and gathered outside the government's headquarters to condemn the deal.

Turkey denies claims from France and Russia that it ferried mercenaries from Syria to Karabakh in support of Azerbaijani troops.

But it has helped arm the oil-rich nation in recent decades and sold it military drones used in the latest battles.

Read also: Russian military helicopter shot down in Armenia, two dead

The deal will see Azerbaijan claim back some of the land it lost after a 1988-94 war over the mountainous region left it in separatist hands after claiming 30,000 lives.

"The pain experienced 30 years ago is coming to an end today," Turkey's defence ministry said in a statement on Twitter.

"Our heroic brothers showed their strength in the battlefield and won a victory by fighting bravely. The bad days are over. Today is victory day."

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