AFP: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey and Russia would jointly supervise the implementation of a ceasefire deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Turkish leader’s office said Erdogan discussed the creation of a “joint centre” in a telephone conversation Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“President Erdogan said Turkey will engage in supervising and monitoring activities together with Russia by means of a joint centre at a location to be designated by Azerbaijan in territories it saved from Armenia’s occupation,” the Turkish presidency said.

The centre’s creation was not mentioned in a nine-point agreement the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia signed with Putin this week.

Russia will send 1,960 military personnel to monitor the ceasefire’s implementation under the deal’s terms.

It made no mention of any Turkish troops or other military presence in the disputed region of Azerbaijan.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday he had signed an “unspeakably painful” deal that allowed Azerbaijan to claim control over regions it has seized back in the fighting.

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.

Erdogan’s office said the deal offered a chance “that should not be wasted and should be used for a just and lasting peace in the region”.

Shahzad Masood Roomi

Shahzad Masood Roomi is founding member and, editor security and geopolitics at GCW. He is IT graduate and has more than 10 years experience of being a  geopolitics and defense affairs analyst. He focuses on IR, geopolitics, strategic studies, maritime security, cybersecurity issues, military aviation, history and geography. His work has published in national and international media outlets.