President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan went to Azerbaijan to participate in the programs organized within the scope of the 6th anniversary of the Karabakh Victory. President Erdoğan was accompanied by his wife Emine Erdoğan.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was welcomed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the airport. Intimate images and chat moments between the two leaders attracted attention.
As part of the visit, President Erdoğan will hold a bilateral meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. It was reported that the two leaders will evaluate various aspects of the cooperation between Türkiye and Azerbaijan during the meeting and will also consult regional and global developments.
President Erdoğan, along with his wife Emine Erdoğan, were accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, Director of the National Intelligence Organization İbrahim Kalın, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, Chief Advisor to the President on Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Deputy Chairman of the AK Party and Chairman of Relations with the Turkish States Kürşad Zorlu and Chairman of the Aksakallar Council of the Organization of Turkish States (TDT). Binali Yıldırım also accompanied him.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of November 8 Victory Day.
In his letter, President Erdoğan stated that he congratulated the victory of all Azerbaijani people, especially Aliyev, on the 6th anniversary of Victory Day, when the Azerbaijani lands that had been occupied for 30 years were liberated. Erdoğan said, "Azerbaijan's rightful struggle, crowned with a great victory, has become a source of pride for the entire Turkish world. The progress of the reconstruction and revival of the regions liberated from occupation creates a sense of pride in all of us."
Referring to the importance of the bonds of brotherhood based on the "One nation, two states" understanding of Turkey and Azerbaijan, which was reinforced with the Shusha Declaration, Erdoğan said, "As a result of the work we carry out in coordination to establish permanent peace, tranquility and stability in our region, the South Caucasus is no longer a region of conflict and instability, but a region of cooperation and development. We wish God's mercy to our heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the fight for the independence of their homeland. "I commemorate their cherished memories with respect and respect, and I express my gratitude to our veterans. On this occasion, I wish health and happiness to Your Excellency and a prosperous and peaceful future to the brother Azerbaijani people, and convey my most sincere greetings and wishes."
Today, Azerbaijan will celebrate the 6th anniversary of the 2nd Karabakh War, which ended the 30-year Armenian occupation in Karabakh.
The Azerbaijani army launched a counter-attack to liberate Karabakh from Armenian occupation on September 27, 2020, and 5 city centers, 4 towns and 286 villages were liberated from Armenian occupation in operations that lasted 44 days and ended on November 10. The war between Azerbaijan and Armenia ended after Armenia accepted defeat.
Armenia signed the agreement on November 10, promising to evacuate the occupied Aghdam, Lachin and Kalbajar provinces. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev changed the date of Victory Day, which was previously set as November 10, because it coincided with the death day of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. By Aliyev's decision, Victory Day was moved to November 8, the day of the liberation of Shusha.
