President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday reaffirmed Türkiye’s unwavering support for Azerbaijan, declaring that Ankara will continue to stand by the Azerbaijani people in both prosperous and challenging times.
Speaking at a concert in Lachin marking the 107th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s Independence Day, Erdoğan said: “Just as we are with you in good times, we will also be with the Azerbaijani people during difficult times.”
The president attended the event alongside Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The gathering was seen as a symbol of deepening regional ties among the three nations.
Quoting Azerbaijani poet Samad Vurgun, Erdoğan emphasized the strength of the Turkish-Azerbaijani brotherhood and expressed hope that this bond would endure for generations. He described Azerbaijan’s 1918 founding of the republic and the recent victory in Karabakh as symbols of resilience and national pride.
“Today, the flame of independence burns even brighter,” Erdoğan said. “With the liberation of Karabakh, every note rising from this land is not only a song of victory, but also a voice of a nation's rebirth.”
He also highlighted the strategic developments in the region, including the inauguration of international airports in Fuzuli, Zangilan, and now Lachin, built in cooperation with Azerbaijan. “We are strengthening cooperation in energy, transport, defense, trade, agriculture, and education,” he said, noting that ties between the two countries have become a model for the broader region.
Looking ahead, Erdoğan said the time has come to write a new chapter for Karabakh, focused on peace, development, and prosperity. “We aim to build lasting peace, trust, and good neighborly relations by learning from past suffering,” he added.
