Erdoğan hails Azerbaijan’s victory in Patriotic War, pledges continued Turkish support

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed Azerbaijan’s triumph in the Patriotic War as a historic victory for the entire Turkic world, pledging Türkiye’s continued support for the country’s reconstruction and regional cooperation. 

Speaking at the military parade in Baku marking the fifth anniversary of Azerbaijan’s Victory in the Patriotic War, the Turkish president congratulated the Azerbaijani president and people, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

“I sincerely congratulate my brother Ilham Aliyev, the architect and leader of this great Victory, and wish him continued success,” Erdoğan said, describing the liberation of Karabakh as “a great source of pride not only for Azerbaijan but also for the entire Turkic world.”

“Today, we jointly celebrate the fifth anniversary of a magnificent and perfect Victory that ended 30 years of occupation,” he continued. “I once again commemorate with mercy all the martyrs of the Patriotic War, the brave sons of Azerbaijan. May God grant peace to the souls of our martyrs and make their resting place paradise, inshallah.”

During his address, Erdoğan recited a poem by Azerbaijan’s People’s Poet Mammad Araz, expressing the deep patriotic spirit shared by the two nations:

“Today it is necessary that every moment of ours says: Motherland!

Our sword, our shield says: Motherland!
In place of those who died, the rest of us say: Motherland!
Motherland! - let it say!
Every feeling of our hearts, every beat says: Motherland!
No matter where we are, our time, our space says: Motherland!
I express my gratitude to our heroic veterans whose hearts beat for the Motherland on every occasion, and say may God be pleased with them.”

Addressing the crowd, Erdoğan emphasised the unity between the two nations and the broader Turkic world. The Turkish president also outlined future cooperation plans between Türkiye and Azerbaijan, particularly in transport and energy. 

“Joint steps will be taken with Azerbaijan to ensure the most effective use of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars [BTK] railway line,” he said, adding that Türkiye aims to “enhance new routes, transportation, and energy transmission opportunities in the South Caucasus region.”

Praising Azerbaijan’s post-war reconstruction efforts, Erdoğan noted that “we witnessed firsthand the construction of airports, roads, bridges, tunnels, and homes.”

“Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, I closely observed what Azerbaijan is capable of achieving. With its magnificent beauty, Karabakh will once again become the shining star of the region. We will provide Azerbaijan with all the necessary support. Alongside our bilateral cooperation with dear Azerbaijan, we are also strengthening our unity at the level of Turkic states,” he added. 

Highlighting the broader impact of the war, Erdoğan stated that the Patriotic War had shifted the geopolitical balance in Asia and Europe, and underscored Türkiye’s commitment to peace in the region.

“Türkiye sees this victory not as the final goal, but as the beginning of the path to peace in the Caucasus,” he said. “We are extremely upbeat in our hope for lasting peace. The steps taken by Ilham Aliyev in this regard are commendable. We are also following the brave actions of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in this direction.”

By Sabina Mammadli