BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 9. Messages from Shusha have demonstrated the unbreakable unity between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend.
He added that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Shusha on the occasion of Azerbaijan’s Victory Day and his joint press statement with President Ilham Aliyev once again demonstrated the strategic nature of relations between the two countries.
Garayev noted that against the backdrop of recent attempts to cast a shadow on Turkish-Azerbaijani ties and create the appearance of artificial disagreements in the fraternal relations between the two nations, the messages delivered by the heads of state from Shusha carry special political significance.
The political analyst said: “In reality, relations between Ankara and Baku have a much deeper meaning than individual political events and day-to-day discussions. These ties are rooted in a shared history, culture, language, and spiritual values, as well as in mutual trust that has developed over many years. And the solidarity demonstrated by the two countries during the Second Karabakh War confirmed that these relations are not only historical and spiritual but also strategic in nature.
“Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Azerbaijan on November 8, specifically, and his tour of the territories liberated from occupation held special symbolic significance. Six years ago, the liberation of Shusha by the Azerbaijani army became one of the key events that determined the outcome of the war. At that time, Türkiye declared at the highest level that it stood with Azerbaijan and openly demonstrated its political and moral support. Today, the Turkish President’s presence in Shusha on Victory Day demonstrated that this support is enduring. In his statement to the press, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev paid special attention to this point. Recalling that Türkiye had stood by Azerbaijan from the very first hours of the war, the head of state highlighted Erdogan’s historic statement: "Azerbaijan is not alone; Türkiye stands by its side." These words hold a special place in the memory of the Azerbaijani people. “From the very first days of the war, Türkiye’s stance demonstrated that Azerbaijan enjoys political and moral support on the international stage. The fact that our head of state once again recalled this statement showed that relations between the two countries do not depend on specific political periods and are strengthened by shared historical trials,” he said.
Garayev noted that this is precisely where the main strength of Azerbaijani-Turkish relations lies. These ties are built not only on intergovernmental cooperation, economic interests, and political agreements. A shared language, history, culture, spiritual values, and the bond between the two peoples form the fundamental basis of these relations. As President Ilham Aliyev emphasized, there are no peoples or countries in the world as closely connected as we are.
“One of the most important legal and political affirmations of this brotherhood was the Shusha Declaration, signed on June 15, 2021. The document officially elevated relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey to the level of an alliance. Thus, the fraternal ties that have developed over the centuries have acquired a strategic framework that meets the challenges of the modern era. In his statement in Shusha, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan particularly emphasized the significance of this document, saying: “The Declaration signed in Shusha on June 15, 2021, will never achieve their goals, whether today or tomorrow, just as they failed to do so yesterday. By the will of Allah, our unity will remain eternally unshakable!” In doing so, the Turkish head of state emphasized that the Azerbaijani-Turkish alliance is based not only on historical and spiritual ties but also on firm political will. The Shusha Declaration not only formally established the strategic relationship between the two countries but also defined the main directions for future cooperation.
President Ilham Aliyev, addressing the issue of preserving unity between the two countries, delivered another important message: “Our unity and brotherhood are unshakable. Those who seek to undermine them will never achieve their aims; their wishes will remain unfulfilled. We, the two peoples and, above all, the two leaders, protect this asset and will not allow anyone to come between us or cast a shadow over our unity, brotherhood, and solidarity for the sake of their personal interests.” A notable aspect of this statement is that maintaining Azerbaijani-Turkish relations is presented as a shared responsibility of both countries. In the President’s remarks, special emphasis is placed on both the historical ties between the peoples and the strengthening of interstate relations through political will. This also reflects the two countries’ shared stance against attempts to influence their relations from outside,” the political analyst noted.
According to him, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed a similar position, stating that attempts aimed at weakening the brotherhood, which has been strengthened by allied relations following the Shusha Declaration, will be fruitless. Thus, the same political message came to the fore in the statements of both leaders: the Azerbaijani-Turkish alliance has been strengthened by the trials of the past and is grounded in a shared determination for the future.
The political analyst emphasized that Erdoğan is also paying special attention to the issue of Karabakh’s reconstruction.
“He highly commended the constructive work being carried out by Azerbaijan in the liberated territories and stated that Türkiye would continue to contribute to this process. The Turkish President’s mention of the establishment of the Azerbaijan-Türkiye International Forestry Training Center and the “Smart Seedlings Enterprise” in Jabrayil, as well as the start of construction on a school in Aghdam, demonstrates concrete results of this cooperation. This point is particularly important, as the Azerbaijan-Türkiye partnership is not limited to mere political statements. The projects being implemented in the territories liberated from occupation, infrastructure development, and cooperation in the fields of education and agriculture reflect the tangible results of this brotherhood. Türkiye’s participation in the reconstruction of Karabakh is also an indicator of the desire to make a joint contribution to the region’s future development,” he said.
Garayev noted that Azerbaijani-Turkish cooperation goes beyond the scope of bilateral relations and has an impact on the unity of the Turkic world.
“Erdoğan highly praised Azerbaijan’s role in the development of the Organization of Turkic States and stated that Türkiye will continue its efforts to transform the organization into a stronger, more institutionalized body. This demonstrates the two countries’ intention to develop opportunities for cooperation not only within the context of their bilateral relations but also across a broader geographic area. The sentiment expressed by President Ilham Aliyev regarding the main outcome of the visit summed up all these messages: “Türkiye-Azerbaijan unity is eternal and unshakable.” This statement became the central expression of the visit’s political and spiritual significance. After all, the meetings, discussions, joint site visits, and statements made all followed the same logic: Azerbaijani-Turkish relations are based on a solid historical foundation and will continue to develop along the lines of a strategic alliance in the future. Erdoğan’s visit to Karabakh on Victory Day demonstrated once again that the brotherhood between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, having weathered historical trials, has grown even stronger. The solidarity demonstrated during the war continues today in the areas of reconstruction, economic cooperation, regional security, and the unity of the Turkic world. The message from Shusha is clear: the common interests, mutual trust, and fraternal ties between the two states will remain the main pillar of their future relations,” the political analyst added.
