Ankara marks 106 years since Baku's liberation from Armenian-Bolshevik forces

An event titled “Caucasian Islamic Army and Enver Pasha” was held in Türkiye to honour the 106th anniversary of Baku's liberation from the occupation by Armenian-Bolshevik forces.

The gathering was organized by the Ankara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATO), the Azerbaijani Embassy in Türkiye, the Turkic World Parliamentarians Foundation (TDPV), and the Türkiye-Azerbaijan Friendship and Solidarity Foundation (TADIV), Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Major General Zaur Zeynalov, the newly appointed military attaché of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Ankara, attended the event, where participants paid tribute to fallen martyrs with a moment of silence, followed by the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Türkiye. A short film about the Caucasian Islamic Army was also screened.

Abdulla Çalışkan, Head of the Turkic World Parliamentarians Foundation, described Baku's liberation as one of the Ottoman Army's three major victories during World War I, stating, “The courageous path of the Caucasian Islamic Army can rightfully be compared to the heroism shown in the battles of Gallipoli and Kut al-Amara.”

Professor Aygün Attar, TADIV Chairman and member of the Turkish Presidential Administration's Security Council, emphasized that the Caucasian Islamic Army not only freed Baku but also saved the people of Tabriz in South Azerbaijan and Dagestani Turks in the North Caucasus from massacres.

Deputy Minister of National Defence Şüay Alpay, of Azerbaijani origin, shared the story of his grandfather, who played a key role in the Ganja uprising against the Bolsheviks in 1920.

The event concluded with the unveiling of an exhibition titled “Caucasian Islamic Army,” featuring a collection of paintings.