The three decades of diplomatic ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan have strengthened the countries, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Friday, marking the 30th anniversary of the resumption of relations between Ankara and Baku.
"Today, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the reestablishment of our diplomatic relations with friendly and brotherly Azerbaijan," said the ministry in a written statement, noting that Azerbaijan declared its aim to "become a member of the international community enjoying equal rights" on Oct. 29, 1991. The date coincided with the 68th anniversary of the Turkish republic, providing "twice the reason to celebrate on that day," it added.
The statement explained that Turkey swiftly recognized Azerbaijan, becoming the first state to establish diplomatic relations with the country after its independence with a protocol signed to revive relations.
"During the past three decades, Turkey stood by friendly and brotherly Azerbaijan in both good and difficult times, showing this once again by greatly rejoicing as the valiant Azerbaijani Armed Forces liberated the occupied territories in the 44-day long Patriotic War," the statement noted, referring to the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in which Azerbaijan liberated swaths of its territory from Armenia.
Relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan were elevated to the alliance level with the signing of the Shusha Declaration on June 15, 2021, the ministry noted, adding that motivation that shapes the two countries' relations will remain. Drawing special attention to two pivotal leaders in the countries' histories, the ministry said the approach befits the statements of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, who said "Azerbaijan's joy is our joy, and her sorrow is our sorrow" and of Haydar Aliyev, national leader of Azerbaijan, who spoke of "one nation, two states."
"After three decades, today, there is a much stronger Turkey and much stronger Azerbaijan, whose fraternity and close cooperation is also the assurance for peace and stability in their common region," it added.
"Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the reestablishment of our diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan, we look to the future with confidence and reiterate our determination for cooperation toward common welfare and development."
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, on the occasion of 30 years, sent a message to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying, “The people of Azerbaijan will never forget the moral support and solidarity displayed by you, the Republic of Turkey and the brotherly Turkish people from the first hours to the last minutes of the 44-day Patriotic War.”
Aliyev stated that he is proud of the great development of Azerbaijan-Turkey relations in the recent period, and that they once again confirmed their commitment to the spirit of "one nation, two states.”
“We are pleased with the mutually beneficial cooperation of our brotherly countries in the political, economic, commercial, cultural, energy, military, technological and other fields, as well as the successful cooperation in international organizations. The huge energy, transport and infrastructure projects we have realized are the true manifestation of our joint ventures and joint efforts.”
Relations reached new highs with the signing of the Shusha Declaration last year, which was ratified to enhance cooperation and promote stability in the region in the wake of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The Shusha Declaration focuses on defense cooperation, promoting stability and prosperity in the region, and establishing new transportation routes.
The declaration affirms joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats. It also pledges joint efforts for the restructuring and modernization of their armed forces.
Furthermore, it set out the borders of the two countries by taking into consideration the Kars Agreement of 1921.
It came after clashes erupted in September 2020 between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan when the Armenian Army launched attacks on Azerbaijani civilians and forces, and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements. Turkey staunchly supported Azerbaijan in its fight.
During the 44-day conflict, which ended in a truce on Nov. 10, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages in Nagorno-Karabakh from a nearly three-decade occupation.
