Erdogan: Azerbaijan's victory in Karabakh opens "new opportunities"

During his visit to Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised Azerbaijan's "victory" in Nagorno-Karabakh, which he believes opens the door to "new opportunities for normalization" in the region.

Erdogan stated alongside his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, "It is a source of pride for Turkey to see Azerbaijan's successful anti-terrorism operations carried out successfully in a short period while respecting the rights of civilians."

He added, "With this victory, new opportunities for general normalization in the region become available."

The Turkish president is on a one-day visit to Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani exclave located between Armenia and Iran, adjacent to Turkey.

He was warmly received by President Aliyev, who embraced him warmly upon his plane's arrival, just days after Azerbaijan militarily took control of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Erdogan stated, "We hope that Armenia will grasp the extended hand of peace."

Officially, the two presidents were scheduled to inaugurate the construction of an 85-kilometer gas pipeline between eastern Turkey and Nakhchivan and to preside over the opening of a military compound.

However, according to Turkish media reports, they are also expected to discuss the opening of the Zangezur Corridor for Azerbaijan through Armenia.

The opening of the Zangezur Corridor along the Armenian-Iranian border would allow Baku to establish geographic connectivity to Nakhchivan and Turkey as well.

Nakhchivan, a small Azerbaijani exclave, was incorporated into Azerbaijan in 1923 but remained geographically disconnected from it.

Turkey's entrance into the scene conflicts with Russia's apparent withdrawal from the region.



AFP