BAKU: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in Azerbaijan for a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev amid a mass exodus of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijan’s military victory over the breakaway region’s fighters last week.
Erdogan’s visit to Azerbaijan’s autonomous Nakhchivan exclave on Monday is focused on discussions concerning the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, as confirmed by the Turkish president’s office.
Speaking at a joint news conference with President Aliyev, Erdogan expressed pride in the successful conclusion of Azerbaijan’s victory in Karabakh. “It is a matter of pride that the military operation was successfully completed in a short period of time, with utmost sensitivity to the rights of civilians,” President Erdogan stated.
He extended his wholehearted congratulations to the victorious Azerbaijani army for their historic success and their humanitarian approach towards civilians.
“Nakhchivan holds a special place in our relations with Azerbaijan” https://t.co/EWDk7GFoc8 pic.twitter.com/E1OhjELqFm
— Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye (@trpresidency) September 25, 2023
Erdogan Govt’s Military Support to Azerbaijan
In 2020, Erdogan’s government provided military support to Azerbaijan when its forces regained control of significant portions of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenian separatists. State media reports indicate that Erdogan is also scheduled to attend groundbreaking and opening ceremonies in the region.
Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but inhabited by a majority ethnic Armenian population, witnessed a ceasefire imposed on Armenian separatists last week after a 24-hour military operation conducted by Azerbaijan’s significantly larger military.
However, the majority of Karabakh Armenians remain skeptical about Azerbaijan’s promises to safeguard their rights. Nagorno-Karabakh resident Valery Airapetyan, in conversation with Al Jazeera, expressed his doubts and revealed his decision to leave the region for Armenia.
