BRUSSELS: NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday he expected alliance member Turkey to use its influence to help head off further fighting in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

But Stoltenberg, who met Armenia's President Armen Sarkisian at NATO's Brussels headquarters on Wednesday, said both Armenia and Azerbaijan were valued partners of the alliance and refused to take sides in the fighting.

On Thursday, however, at a news conference after a meeting of defence ministers, he did suggest that Turkey must be part of a diplomatic solution to the conflict, and deplored reports of civilian deaths.