BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 15
By Elgun Mansimov - Trend:
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan states from each platform that Azerbaijan is not alone, Turkey is always close to Azerbaijan in a fair fight in connection with the pressure from Canada, France and other European countries, a teacher at the Faculty of Caucasus History at Marmara University and Director of the Institute of Turkic Studies, Professor Okan Yesilot told Trend on June 15.
“Today's visit of the Turkish president to Azerbaijan’s Shusha city liberated from the Armenian occupation testifies to this,” Yesilot added.
“Azerbaijan hoped for many years that the OSCE Minsk Group and international organizations would resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the professor said.
“The activity of these structures turned out to be ineffectual,” Yesilot said. “During 28 years of occupation, Azerbaijan strengthened and improved its troops, acquired weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles from Turkey, Israel, Russia and developed provision of the troops with weapons.”
“Azerbaijan responded harshly to the provocations of Armenia on September 27, 2020 by launching a counteroffensive,” the professor said. “Armenia suffered big defeat on all fronts and was unable to receive the expected support from Russia and international forces. As a result, Azerbaijan liberated its lands within 44 days.”
Yesilot stressed that Turkey has supported Azerbaijan at a high level since the first days of the second Nagorno-Karabakh War.
“By the visits of Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar, Chairman of the Parliament Mustafa Sentop to Baku, Turkey demonstrated this support at a high level and stated on all platforms that it is close to Azerbaijan,” the professor said.
“After the signing of the trilateral statement on November 10, 2020, Turkish military personnel, together with Russian peacekeepers, began to carry out the activity in the Monitoring Center,” Yesilot said.
“Thus, referring to the Agreement on Strategic Partnership and Mutual Support signed by Azerbaijan and Turkey in 2010, Turkey accepted Azerbaijan's proposal and sent its military personnel to this Center,” the professor said.
The professor added that Turkey will be close to Azerbaijan until the end in the process of restoring and developing the liberated territories.
“During their visit to Shusha, the presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey will once again confirm that the liberated lands of Azerbaijan will be restored and made suitable for living,” Yesilot said.
“This visit is a clear example that Azerbaijan and Turkey are one nation, two states,” the professor said. “Azerbaijan is not alone in a fair fight.”
Yesilot emphasized that Armenia, receiving support from outside, continues to commit provocations at the border.
“Armenia must provide Azerbaijan with maps of minefields,” the professor said. “This problem must be resolved in a short period of time.”
“The rapid opening of the Zangezur corridor is one of the main conditions of the trilateral statement signed on November 10, 2020,” Yesilot said. “A prerequisite is the soonest return of refugees and internally displaced people to their historical lands. Turkey will do everything possible in this regard and will continue to support Azerbaijan."