Three years ago, on June 15, in Shusha, the presidents of Azerbaijan and Türkiye, Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, signed the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations. This marked a new stage in the historical cooperation between the two brotherly countries. The document was ratified by the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan on February 1, 2022, and by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on February 3 of the same year. The parties note that, thanks to this document, the ties between the countries have reached the highest level, as it now involves an alliance.
Everything about the declaration’s emergence is significant. For example, it includes the famous, historically significant statements of the two national leaders of Azerbaijan and Türkiye: “The joy of Azerbaijan is our joy, its sorrow is our sorrow,” said by the legendary Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and “One nation – two states,” attributed to Azerbaijan’s national leader Heydar Aliyev. The document’s signing in Shusha, an ancient cultural cradle not only of Azerbaijan but of the entire Turkic world, is also highly symbolic. It is linked to the Treaty of Kars from October 13, 1921, as the Shusha Declaration appeared 100 years after that treaty. This is a direct and clear historical parallel since the Treaty of Kars, though signed after the establishment of the Azerbaijan Socialist Republic within Soviet Russia, already defined the foundations of economic and political relations between the two Turkic peoples.
Since Azerbaijan gained independence, other significant international documents have been signed between our states, such as the “Agreement on the Development of Friendship and Comprehensive Cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Türkiye” on February 9, 1994, the “Protocol on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Türkiye” on August 16, 2010, and the more recent “Agreement on Strategic Partnership and Mutual Assistance between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Türkiye.”
However, the Shusha Declaration can be considered the pinnacle of these relations because, in addition to the successful development of strategic alliances in all areas, it also imposes obligations on the parties to ensure mutual military security.
It is important to recall that Türkiye was the first country to recognize Azerbaijan’s independence on November 9, 1991, and diplomatic relations were established on January 14, 1992. In August 1992, the Azerbaijani embassy in Türkiye opened. In subsequent years, in 1993 and 2004, the Azerbaijani consulates general in Istanbul and Kars began operating, respectively. Currently, Türkiye’s consulates general operate in Ganja and Nakhchivan. These are purely diplomatic relations, but the economic ties are extensive. Successful projects implemented by Azerbaijan and Türkiye include Baku – Tbilisi – Ceyhan, Baku – Tbilisi – Erzurum, Baku – Tbilisi – Kars, TANAP, and TAP. Finally, the coordinated activities of the parties within international and regional organizations, including the UN, the Organization of Economic Cooperation, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Organization of Turkic States, are notable.
It is noteworthy that even before the signing of the Shusha Declaration between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, the brotherly country behaved as if the document was already in force. This refers to the allied treaty’s assistance to the neighboring side in the event of aggression by a third state. The decisive position of Türkiye and its moral and political support, provided to Azerbaijan during the 44-day second Karabakh war, which began on September 27, 2020, in response to the latest military provocations by occupying Armenia, is well known. This was before one of the declaration’s points included the following: in the event of a threat or aggression by a third state or states against the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the borders of one of the countries, the parties will provide each other with the necessary assistance in accordance with the UN Charter.
Similarly, without relying on the points of the Shusha Declaration but driven by the people’s impulse, Azerbaijan could not stand aside when, on February 6 of last year, a powerful earthquake in the brotherly country killed and injured tens of thousands of people. Immediately after the tragedy, President Ilham Aliyev called Recep Tayyip Erdogan and said that our country shares Türkiye’s sorrow. By his order, a team of 420 rescuers was sent to the brotherly country and immediately began work with their Turkish colleagues upon arrival.
To conclude, one of the points of the Shusha Declaration states: “The parties, ensuring the necessary state support, will continue to develop and deepen close ties based on common values in the humanitarian field, in the areas of social protection, science, education, healthcare, culture, youth, and sports.” This covers almost all aspects of the strategic alliance, implying principles of close cooperation between our brotherly states. Naturally, this includes mutual assistance in the field of security and defense.
Rauf Nasirov
Translated from minval.az
