Erdogan Says Azerbaijan Will 'One Day' Regain Nagorny Karabakh

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday predicted that Ankara's ally Azerbaijan would "one day" regain control of Nagorny Karabakh, as deadly clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces over the region raged for a third day.

"We are today standing side-by-side with our brothers in Azerbaijan. But this persecution will not continue forever. Karabakh will one day return to its original owner. It will be Azerbaijan's," Erdogan told a conference in Ankara broadcast live on television.

Nagorny Karabakh was seized by Armenian rebels from Azerbaijan in a war that ended with an inconclusive truce in 1994.

The territory is now ruled by Armenia-backed separatist authorities who claim independence and are backed by Yerevan but are not recognized by any state.

Erdogan praised Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, saying he was the only leader who came to Turkey to personally give condolences for the deadly attack that rocked Ankara in March.

"The leaders who ran to give condolences when there were attacks in Europe could not be bothered to come to our country," said Erdogan.

"But Aliyev said: 'You don't come here (to Azerbaijan). I am coming to you.' And he came. And we shared our pain here." 

Erdogan had at the weekend vowed to back Azerbaijan "to the end" in the conflict, saying "we pray our Azerbaijani brothers will prevail in these clashes."

Turkey, which has close cultural and linguistic ties with Azerbaijan, is a key ally of Baku.

Ankara has no diplomatic relations with Armenia due to the dispute over the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire which Yerevan regards as genocide.

Azerbaijan said three of its troops were killed overnight when Armenian forces shelled its positions using mortars and grenade launchers, taking the overall death toll in the latest surge of violence to at least 36.