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    Categories: 2021

Turkish President Joins Azerbaijani President in Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh

June 23 2021

Turkish President Joins Azerbaijani President in Shushi, 
Nagorno-Karabakh

06/23/2021 Nagorno-Karabakh (International Christian Concern) –  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Shushi of Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenian: Artsakh) with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on June 15. Erdogan became the first leader to visit Shushi since the town was captured by Azerbaijan. Turkey’s military support of Azerbaijan during the 44-day war proved crucial in the capture of Shushi and the partnership between the two countries has only grown.

Erdogan reviewed the troops at a welcoming ceremony in Shushi before meeting with Aliyev. During their meeting and following announcements, agreements were made to deepen political, commercial, and military cooperation between the two.

These plans include the opening of a Turkish consulate in Shushi and the co-production of military drones. Erdogan commented saying, “We are taking measures to make sure the occupation of Azerbaijan’s historic lands doesn’t happen again.” Erdogan also suggested the creation of a regional cooperation platform including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Georgia and Armenia.

The visit by the Turkish President brought condemnation however from the Armenian side. The Armenian Foreign Ministry said, “These provocative actions significantly harm international efforts to establish stability in the region and are absolutely unacceptable.”

For more information about the humanitarian impact of the 44-day war, see ICC’s report: Nagorno-Karabakh: A Humanitarian Perspective.
Sonya Jalatian: