Türkiye extends congratulations to Azerbaijan on Victory Day, State Flag Day

Turkish Ministry of National Defence Spokesperson Zeki Akturk extended heartfelt congratulations to Azerbaijan on the occasion of Victory Day on November 8 and State Flag Day on November 9.

"Congratulations on November 8 - Victory Day and November 9 - State Flag Day of Azerbaijan, with which we are united in sorrow and joy under the slogan 'Two States, One Nation'," he said during the weekly briefing on November 7, Caliber.Az reports.

He noted that the Turkish Armed Forces continue to contribute to international security, peace and stability through international operations, missions and training and advisory activities in friendly and allied countries.

Notably, on May 8, 1992, Armenia occupied Shusha, a city of immense cultural and historical significance to Azerbaijan. During the subsequent years of occupation, Armenian forces initiated a systematic campaign to destroy Azerbaijan's heritage in the region.

Before the outbreak of the 2020 conflict, the illegal separatist regime established in the occupied territories held a staged and unrecognised “presidential inauguration” in Shusha, further emphasising their claims.

The situation escalated on September 27, 2020, when Armenia's forces, positioned in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, launched attacks on both military and civilian targets across Azerbaijan. This marked a violent turn in the decades-long conflict. Throughout the 44-day military operations that followed, Azerbaijani forces succeeded in liberating nearly 300 settlements, including the cities of Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, and Shusha, ending almost 30 years of illegal Armenian occupation.

The war culminated in a ceasefire agreement signed on November 10, 2020, between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. As part of this agreement, Armenia returned the occupied territories of Aghdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin to Azerbaijan.

On November 8, 2020, Azerbaijani forces regained control of Shusha, restoring the country's sovereignty over the city.

President Ilham Aliyev hailed the liberation of Shusha as the defining moment of Azerbaijan's victory in the 44-day war.

By Khagan Isayev