Turkey's prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Armenia must withdraw from the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a day after the two countries signed a deal to normalize ties.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey cannot take a "positive step" toward opening the joint border with Armenia until Armenian troops leave the breakaway enclave in Azerbaijan.

Armenia and Turkey agreed Saturday to establish diplomatic relations and open their border. Azerbaijan has criticized the agreement saying it aggravates the dispute.

Erdogan said Sunday a solution to the issue would also ensure that the agreement signed with Armenia is easily approved by Turkey's parliament, AP reported.