Erdogan cool to U.S., Russia, France ceasefire effort in Nagorno-Karabakh

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday it was unacceptable that the United States, Russia and France were involved in a search for a ceasefire in a disputed Caucasus region given they neglected problems there for some 30 years. Erdogan also repeated that Armenia must withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh if there is to be lasting peace in the region where Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces have clashed for five days.

Russia, the United States and France were drafting a joint statement about the fighting on Thursday, the Interfax agency cited the Kremlin as saying.