“We see the Karabakh victory as a milestone on the path to lasting peace in the Caucasus”

 

Addressing Azerbaijan’s Victory Day Ceremony in Baku, President Erdoğan said: “The Karabakh victory not only corrected a grave injustice hurting the consciences, but also paved the way for a new era in our region. The Patriotic War altered the geopolitical balances in Asia and Europe. We neither hold grudges nor allow the recurrence of past sufferings. We, therefore, see this victory not as an end but as a milestone on the path to lasting peace in the Caucasus.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the Victory Day Ceremony in Baku, Azerbaijan.

“TODAY, THERE ARE PEACE, DEVELOPMENT, PROSPERITY AND FREEDOM IN EVERY INCH OF KARABAKH”

Noting that the Azerbaijani armed forces liberated Karabakh from occupation under President Ilham Aliyev’s sagacious leadership and thus put out the 30-year fire in the hearts, President Erdoğan said: “Today, thank Allah, there are peace, development, prosperity and freedom in every inch of Karabakh from Lachin to Shusha to Zangilan to Khankendi to Khojaly to Fuzuli.”

President Erdoğan stated: “This climate of peace and security will increasingly strengthen. The Karabakh victory not only corrected a grave injustice hurting the consciences, but also paved the way for a new era in our region. The Patriotic War altered the geopolitical balances in Asia and Europe. We neither hold grudges nor allow the recurrence of past sufferings. We, therefore, see this victory not as an end but as a milestone on the path to lasting peace in the Caucasus. We believe that peace in the Caucasus will contribute to prosperity in the whole region from Asia to Europe.”

“WE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THE PROGRESS THE BROTHERLY AZERBAIJAN HAS MADE IN THE REGION AND BEYOND”

Voicing optimism about lasting peace, President Erdoğan said: “We appreciate my Ilham Aliyev brother’s efforts for lasting peace. We are also pleased by Armenian Prime Minister Mr. Pashinyan’s brave steps in this direction. This magnificent victory will hopefully be crowned with a permanent agreement that will perpetuate peace and calm in the region thanks to the two leaders’ constructive stance. As Türkiye, we will continue to do our part in this regard.”

President Erdoğan went on: “We take great pride in the progress the brotherly Azerbaijan has made in the region and beyond. Our exceptional relations get stronger by the day through concrete and strategic projects. As you will recall, we crowned our cooperation with Azerbaijan with the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan crude oil pipeline – the project of the century -, particularly the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli, as well as Shah Deniz and TANAP, and lastly, further consolidated our cooperation with the implementation of the Igdir-Nakchivan Natural Gas Pipeline. And now, we are working to further deepen and expand the scope of this cooperation. We hope the routes to be developed in the Caucasus will enhance the existing transportation and energy transfer capabilities. We need to improve the Trans-Caspian East-West-Middle Corridor with new investments in a manner to benefit all our brothers and sisters in the region. I believe we will take much bigger steps with Azerbaijan to make the best of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line.”

“KARABAKH WILL ONCE AGAIN BECOME THE SHINING STAR OF THE REGION”

Drawing attention to Azerbaijan’s ongoing efforts aimed at reconstructing Karabakh, ensuring safe return of the people, and restoring the destroyed cultural and religious heritage, President Erdoğan said: “I witnessed in person the mobilization of development and investments all across Karabakh launched after the victory. I saw firsthand the airports, roads, bridges, tunnels, railways, houses, buildings that are rising, and agricultural and transportation projects. I closely witnessed what the brotherly Azerbaijan can achieve under my brother Ilham’s leadership.” 

“What we have seen is just the beginning. They will continue. With its outstanding beauty, Karabakh will once again become the shining star of the region. In this period, we will support Azerbaijan by any means necessary. Besides our bilateral relations with Azerbaijan, we also maintain our unity and solidarity with it under the umbrella of the Organization of Turkic States,” President Erdoğan further stressed, adding: “I hope the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ place within the Turkic world will strengthen with Azerbaijan’s unwavering support.”