The Turkish and Azerbaijani militaries launched a joint exercise in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Region on Monday.
A group of Turkish soldiers arrived in the Nakhchivan exclave to take part in the Indestructible Brotherhood 2021 military drill, said an Azerbaijani Defense Ministry statement.
The Turkish and Azerbaijani national anthems were played at the opening ceremony with an exchange of flags. After the ceremony, soldiers and armored vehicles to be used in the drill left for Nakhchivan.
Earlier in September, the two militaries launched a joint drill in Azerbaijan's Lachin region – which was liberated from Armenian occupation last year.
Ankara last year threw its support behind Baku, whose Nagorno-Karabakh region had remained under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades before finally being liberated last November.
A year ago, clashes erupted between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan when the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.
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. The two countries finally signed a Russia-brokered deal to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive solution.
Moreover, Turkey and Azerbaijan signed the Shusha Declaration. The 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 its armed forces.
Turkey and Azerbaijan enjoy strong relations, as the two countries embrace the "one nation, two states" motto.
During his presidency, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has visited Azerbaijan more than 20 times, while over 100 delegation visits have been conducted.
