Erdogan in Shusha declared support for Azerbaijan's efforts to establish lasting peace in the South Caucasus

Statements in Shusha

On Sunday, November 8, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at a joint press conference with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Shusha, reaffirmed Ankara's support for Baku's efforts to establish lasting peace in the South Caucasus. The remarks were timed to the sixth anniversary of the liberation of Karabakh; beforehand, the leaders held a bilateral meeting at the residence of the head of the executive authority of Shusha. This is reported by Anadolu.

Peace as a continuation of victory

Erdogan stated that the liberation of Azerbaijan's territories from occupation during the 44-day Second Karabakh War of 2020 opened a new era in the South Caucasus, and that the current task is to 'crown the victory achieved on the battlefield with lasting peace and stability.' He also highly praised the reconstruction of Karabakh, emphasizing that Turkey will continue to share its experience and take part in reconstruction and development work. As examples of cooperation, he cited the International Forestry Training Center, created with the participation of Turkey's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and nurseries in Jabrayil, as well as the construction that has begun on a school with 40 classrooms covering 14,500 square meters in Aghdam, which, he said, he hopes to open together with Aliyev next year. On the way from Fuzuli International Airport to Shusha, the delegation, Erdogan noted, passed through seven tunnels, which he called evidence of successful infrastructure construction in the region.

An allied format of relations

Both leaders referred to the Shusha Declaration, signed on June 15, 2021, which elevated bilateral relations to the level of an alliance. Erdogan stated that those who seek to weaken the brotherhood of the two countries 'will never achieve their goals,' while Aliyev thanked Turkey for its support during the war years and called the unity of the two countries 'eternal and unshakable.' According to him, the Shusha Declaration merely formalized historical and cultural ties into an official framework, while the peoples themselves are bound by common roots, language, and spiritual values. Aliyev also positively assessed the growth of Turkey's international influence and called the Baku-Ankara tandem a factor of stability, cooperation, and security 'in a region spanning a vast geography.' Erdogan separately congratulated the Azerbaijani people on State Flag Day on November 9 and recited verses by the Azerbaijani poet Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh. He also said that during its chairmanship Turkey will work to enhance the effectiveness and institutionalization of the Organization of Turkic States, thanking Azerbaijan for its work in this area during its chairmanship.