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Türkiye on Thursday “strongly” condemned the drone strike on the Azerbaijan autonomous Nakhchivan exclave earlier in the day.
“We reiterate that attacks targeting third countries in the region and increasing risk of war spreading must cease immediately,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Türkiye will continue to stand by Azerbaijan, as it has historically, the statement added.
Earlier Thursday, the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry said its exclave was hit by drones launched from Iran, with one striking the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport and another falling near a school in the village of Shakarabad.
“We strongly condemn these drone attacks launched from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which resulted in damage to the airport and injuries to two civilians,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Azerbaijan Health Ministry later said four people were injured and that their conditions were stable.
Iranian authorities have not immediately commented on the incident.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also discussed the attack on Nakhchivan in a phone call Thursday with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said.
During the call, two ministers discussed a drone strike targeting Nakhchivan, sources added.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused Iran of committing a “terrorist act” following a drone strike in Nakhchivan that injured four people.
“The Azerbaijani state strongly condemns this ugly terrorist act, and those who committed it must be immediately held accountable,” Aliyev was quoted as saying in a statement by the country's presidency after the Security Council meeting.
Aliyev said Iranian authorities must provide an explanation regarding the incident, issue an apology and ensure those responsible are held criminally liable.
He added that the Azerbaijan armed forces were instructed to “prepare and implement retaliatory measures,” while noting that Baku did not and will not participate in operations against Iran in reference to the ongoing U.S.-Israeli offensive.
Iran's armed forces later denied launching a drone attack on Azerbaijan after Baku said at least two Iranian drones hit the country.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran ... denies its armed forces launched a drone toward the Republic of Azerbaijan,” the general staff of armed forces said in a statement carried by state television.
“Such actions by the Zionist regime, aimed at disrupting relations between Muslim countries in various ways, are not unprecedented.”
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