Turkey does not recognize the so-called election in Nagorno-Karabakh, the message of the Turkish Foreign Ministry April 30 said.

Holding of the so-called parliamentary election in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is a serious violation of international law, according to the message.

Earlier, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry called the ‘parliamentary election’ planned to be held by the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh on May 3 as illegal.

“The upcoming “election” is a clear violation of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the norms and principles of international law,” spokesman for the Azerbaijani foreign ministry Hikmet Hajiyev said. “This “election” is aimed at undermining the negotiation process on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.”

A number of international organizations and countries also condemned holding the so-called parliamentary election in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.

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