Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday the Upper Karabakh is as much Turkey’s issue as it is Azerbaijan's.

Axar.az reports citing Turkish media.

"It is our greatest desire to resolve the problem of Upper Karabakh on the basis of Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Erdogan said at a joint news conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.

He said the railway connecting Turkey to Azerbaijan’s autonomous region of Nakhchivan, which is surrounded on the east and north with rival Armenia, holds great strategic importance.

Praising the brotherly ties between the two countries, Erdogan said: "We will boost the trade volume [with Azerbaijan] to $15 billion in 2023, this is our aim.”

Last year, the trade volume of the two countries was $2 billion.

Turkey’s main exports to Azerbaijan include machinery, mechanical appliances, and components for nuclear reactors.

The Turkish president’s remarks came after the eighth edition of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting -- which was established in 2010 to enhance ties at the presidential level.

Erdogan thanked the people and government of Azerbaijan for their support to Turkey after a powerful earthquake hit the country’s east in January.

Aliyev said the high-level meeting was proof that Azerbaijan and Turkey are on the same page on critical issues.

Referring to the Upper Karabakh conflict, Aliyev thanked his Turkish counterpart for "always supporting the righteous stance" of Azerbaijan at the international front.