Türkiye and Azerbaijan elevated relations to a new level following the Karabakh war of 2020, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday.
“We registered this new era by passing the Shusha Declaration, which is the title deed of our relations, through our assemblies with lightning speed,” Erdoğan said following a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.
In reference to his one-day visit to Azerbaijan on Oct. 20, Erdoğan said: “I, together with my brother (Azerbaijani President) Ilham Aliyev, inaugurated Zangilan International Airport, built in the region saved from the occupation.”
“We see the Fuzuli and Zangilan airports, which have been built on Azerbaijan’s liberated lands with record speed, as strategic moves for the region’s development,” he added.
Raising relations between Türkiye and Azerbaijan to the level of an alliance, the declaration was inked in a ceremony attended by the presidents of the two countries in the Azerbaijani city of Shusha. The declaration focuses on defense cooperation and establishing new transportation routes, affirming the joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats, and the restructuring and modernization of their armed forces.
“During our visit, we have agreed on accelerating the project of the clearing of mines, which is another important step that will revive the region. With the participation of some other brotherly countries, we, together with Azerbaijan, carry out tripartite works that will broaden our spirit of cooperation in the areas of trade, transportation and energy.”
Aliyev recently said that clearing mines that have been planted by Armenia on occupied Azerbaijani territories will take nearly 30 years and cost $25 billion.
Türkiye was a key backer of Azerbaijan during the 44-day Karabakh war between Azerbaijan and Armenia that erupted on Sept. 27, 2020 and ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire on Nov. 10.
Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military illegally occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
Clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian Army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces, violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.
During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and around 300 settlements and villages that had been occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.
The fighting ended with a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, which was seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.
However, the cease-fire has been broken several times since then.
After the conflict ended, Azerbaijan launched a massive reconstruction initiative in the liberated Karabakh region.
On the domestic front, Erdoğan said: “We are preparing for our republic’s centenary, which we will mark next year, with great excitement and enthusiasm.”
"To us, this anniversary is far more meaningful than a calendar change, it is the beginning of the second century of our new state. That is why we have named this leap forward the century of Türkiye, which will elevate the third state we have founded in the past 1,000 years on Anatolian lands to a level that we as the nation dream of in political, economic, social and diplomatic areas."
Erdoğan recently announced the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) motto for the upcoming 2023 elections as "Türkiye's century."
The next presidential and parliamentary elections in Türkiye are expected to be held in June 2023. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the ruling AK Party are partners under the People's Alliance, with Erdoğan serving as the alliance's candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.
The president also touched upon recent accusations by the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) used chemical weapons on terrorists.
Commenting on the comments by TTB head Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Erdoğan said: “The judiciary has taken action regarding the head of the Turkish Medical Association, who slandered the cross-border operations carried out by our Turkish Armed Forces.”
"We will also carry out our work on this name, and if necessary, we will ensure that this name is changed by legal regulation. I believe that the fact that such a person, who insults his country and army by speaking in the language of terrorist organizations, being at the head of an institution whose name begins with ‘Turkish’, disturbs every member of our nation.”
Erdoğan underlined that according to the results of the investigation conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the decisions of the courts, necessary steps will be taken regarding both this person and this institution.
