Erdoğan and Aliyev Reaffirm Alliance at Shusha Talks

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in Shusha on November 8 and delivered joint statements reaffirming their countries’ alliance. The visit coincided with the sixth anniversary of Azerbaijan’s Victory Day. Their public remarks addressed bilateral cooperation and efforts to normalize relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Aliyev said the talks covered political and economic relations, investment, energy, transport corridors and the Zangezur Corridor. “Türkiye-Azerbaijan unity is eternal and unshakable,” he said. He also said the two leaders would not allow others to undermine their relationship. Erdoğan described the relationship as extending beyond shared language, history and culture, and said attempts to weaken it would fail. On the peace process, Aliyev said Armenia and Azerbaijan were pursuing normalization. He said the two countries had initialed a peace agreement more than a year earlier but had not formally signed it. Erdoğan said Türkiye supported Azerbaijan’s efforts to establish lasting regional peace. He described lasting peace and stability as the objective following the fighting. Both presidents referred to the Shusha Declaration, signed on June 15, 2021, as a foundation of their alliance. Aliyev said it formalized longstanding historical and cultural ties. Erdoğan also thanked Azerbaijan for its work while chairing the Organization of Turkic States and said Türkiye would seek to strengthen the organization during its own chairmanship.