Azerbaijan on Friday marked the fourth anniversary of the Karabakh Victory with marches and activities across the country and its Karabakh region.
In Baku, Ganja, Khankendi, Lachin and Shusha marches were held to mark the anniversary of the Karabakh Victory.
As part of the “Victory Day” celebrations, soldiers and Karabakh War veterans participated in the marches held in various parts of Baku. Before the march, the martyrs were commemorated with silence and the Azerbaijani National Anthem was sung. Citizens also took part in the march, where the military band sang.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev took part in the opening of the Victory Park that was built for the fourth anniversary in the capital.
“I believe that the results of the Second Karabakh War and the anti-terrorist operation are enough for Armenia to take the right steps. However, the anti-Azerbaijani forces that do not accept this situation, the anti-Islamists in Western capitals are provoking Armenia into a new war. Some Western friends are ready to sacrifice Armenia so that there will be another problem in the South Caucasus, blood will be shed again, and they can fish in troubled waters again,” he said.
The celebration also poured in from Türkiye.
“We celebrate the Nov. 8 Victory Day of our noble Azerbaijani Turk brothers who liberated their homeland from occupation with a heroic struggle in Karabakh and demonstrated the power of the Turks to the whole world,” the Turkish Defense Ministry wrote.
Türkiye’s support for Azerbaijan and especially Turkish Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) have been decisive in Baku’s victory. Following the Karabakh war, Ankara frequently urged dialogue between the two neighbors and even proposed a cooperation platform for regional countries to enhance trade and connectivity.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş also congratulated Azerbaijan, saying “On the fourth anniversary of the liberation of Karabakh, I wholeheartedly congratulate Azerbaijan’s Victory Day, and respectfully commemorate the heroic veterans of the epic 44-day struggle for the freedom of Karabakh, and respectfully and mercifully commemorate the martyrs” on social media.
‘New era’
Nov. 8 represents “the beginning of a new era for our country and region,” said the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry in a written statement marking Victory Day. “Today, 4 years have passed since the Shusha victory, which determined the fate of the 44-day Patriotic War, ending almost 30 years of military occupation and aggression and creating new realities and historical opportunities for peace in the region.”
Tensions between Baku and Yerevan have persisted since 1991, when the Armenian military illegally occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, along with seven adjacent regions.
Baku and Yerevan fought two wars over the Azerbaijani enclave in 2020 and the 1990s.
Azerbaijan’s crushing victory in a six-week war with Armenia in 2020 saw Baku recapture swathes of its lands, which Armenian forces had controlled for three decades. In September, Azerbaijan launched a lightning offensive to drive away remnants of the separatists. The one-day offensive concluded with another victory for Azerbaijan and separatist leaders either turned themselves in or were captured by Azerbaijani forces days later.
In September 2023, Azerbaijan established full sovereignty over Karabakh following a counterterrorism operation, after which separatist forces in the region surrendered.
Azerbaijan and Armenia pursue peace talks through international mediation, but the talks have failed to produce a breakthrough so far.
Most recently, the border delimitation commissions of Azerbaijan and Armenia on Friday convened at the border for the 10th time earlier this month.
The foreign ministry added that “significant progress has been made in the bilateral negotiations with Armenia on the draft peace agreement, which is being held at our country’s initiative.”
“However, notwithstanding the progress of negotiations, there are still challenges and threats to a successful conclusion of the peace process. Armenia must learn from history and finally realize that territorial claims against its neighbors will not yield any results,” the statement read.
Since recapturing its previously occupied territories, Azerbaijan has engaged in busy reconstruction efforts, building new roads, airports, smart cities and villages.