This statement was made by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, during a meeting with the chairpersons of the parliaments of TURKPA member countries.
“If Armenia had listened to our words in 2020 and peacefully returned our lands, there would have been no need for the Second Karabakh War and the anti-terrorist operation. This should serve as a lesson for them, and I see that they are drawing conclusions from it. The peaceful return of our four villages through negotiations and the determination of borders in that region show that we can resolve issues through dialogue. Of course, in the next stage—I am confident that the Shusha summit will be an important step in this direction—our unity will be demonstrated, and specific issues will be discussed. Heads of state, chairpersons of parliaments, civil society, all layers of society must work together to strengthen the Turkic world. I am sure that the day will come when all global issues will be resolved in consultation with the Organization of Turkic States. We are demonstrating only good intentions, and as the esteemed Chairman Numan Kurtulmus said, our desire is interaction, cooperation, and friendship. We are not taking any actions against anyone. We are not a threat to anyone and never will be. We are demanding our rights, defending them, and supporting each other,” Aliyev noted.
“We protect each other. Look, in 2021, Turkey and Azerbaijan signed the Shusha Declaration and became official allies. This alliance is the highest form of cooperation. We are always there for each other in all matters. As soon as an issue arises, we are, as they say, automatically, without hesitation, there for each other. This unity should be in the entire Turkic world, so that no one can interfere in our affairs,” the leader of Azerbaijan added.
