Erdoğan in Baku for Azerbaijan’s Victory Day Ceremony
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan traveled to Baku with a high-level delegation to attend the Republic of Azerbaijan’s Victory Day ceremony on November 8. Early this morning, he departed Istanbul for Baku aboard the presidential aircraft. Accompanying him on this trip are the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense, the head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), and other senior officials. Erdoğan is scheduled to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The discussions will cover regional security, energy cooperation, and geopolitical developments.
During the ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the Azerbaijani army’s victory in the Second Karabakh War, Erdoğan declared in his speech that this victory would serve as the foundation for lasting peace in the Caucasus. He stated: “We do not see this victory as an end, but as the basis of a path toward lasting peace in the Caucasus.” Praising the efforts and sacrifices of the Azerbaijani people and army, Erdoğan added that every step taken by the Azerbaijani army in Karabakh and every drop of blood shed for independence and honor has been inscribed in golden letters in the history of the Turkic world. He emphasized that under the decisive leadership of his brother Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani army liberated Karabakh from occupation and extinguished the 30-year fire in people’s hearts. He noted that the victory in Karabakh not only ended a major injustice but also opened the door to a new era in the region and reshaped the geopolitical balance of Asia and Europe.
The Turkish President also stated that this glorious victory, with the constructive approach of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, could lead to a lasting agreement that would strengthen peace. He highlighted the extensive cooperation between Baku and Ankara in the energy sector, noting that the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Shah Deniz, Trans-Anatolian, and Iğdır-Nakhchivan natural gas pipelines have been further strengthened.
The fifth anniversary of the victory in the Second Karabakh War was commemorated with a military parade in Baku’s Azadliq Square. The ceremony was attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. It began with the national anthems of the three countries and a minute of silence in honor of the martyrs of the 44-day war, followed by a parade of the armed forces of the three nations. Tanks, armored personnel carriers, missile systems, and Azerbaijani army drones including Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı were showcased. In addition, fighter jets of the Azerbaijani Air Force and Turkish Air Force F-16s flew over Baku.
