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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday praised Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for his “sincere efforts” to achieve lasting peace with Armenia, while also commending Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for his “courageous steps” toward reconciliation.
Speaking in Baku at a ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of Azerbaijan’s Victory Day, Erdogan said, “We also welcome the courageous steps taken by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in this direction.”
“This magnificent victory will result in a lasting agreement that will bring peace and stability to the region, thanks to the constructive approach of both leaders,” he added.
Erdogan said Azerbaijan’s 2020 military victory in Karabakh ended a “major injustice” and opened a new era in the Caucasus, shifting geopolitical dynamics in both Asia and Europe.
Ankara views Baku’s battlefield success not as an end, but as a milestone on the road to peace, Erdogan said, adding that “Türkiye will do what is necessary” to support the process.
“Every step taken by the Azerbaijani Army in Karabakh for independence is written in golden letters in the history of the Turkic world,” Erdogan said.
Erdogan arrived in Azerbaijan earlier Saturday to attend the official ceremony in Baku. On Nov. 8, 2020, Azerbaijani forces captured the city of Shusha during the 44-day war with Armenia, effectively ending nearly three decades of Armenian control over much of Karabakh. The war concluded with a Russian-brokered cease-fire.
Shusha’s liberation was later designated as Victory Day by presidential decree. The holiday was originally set for Nov. 10—the day the Second Karabakh War officially ended—but was changed to avoid coinciding with the anniversary of the death of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Republic of Türkiye.
On Tuesday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan had moved into a phase requiring the implementation of agreed-upon provisions.
Speaking at the Orbeli Forum 2025: Building Peace and Multilateral Cooperation, Pashinyan described the emerging pact as a “strategic deal” between the two countries.
“The essence of the deal is as follows: Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other’s territorial integrity based on the (1991) Alma-Ata Declaration, open regional communications based on the Washington Declaration, carry out delimitation based on the already agreed-upon regulation, and leave each other in peace. This vision is also reflected in the initial peace agreement,” he said.
He emphasized that peace requires “daily attention,” adding that the Armenian government and people remain fully committed to the process.
In August, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a joint declaration at a trilateral summit at the White House alongside then-U.S. President Donald Trump.
The declaration included commitments to cease hostilities, reopen transport routes, and normalize diplomatic relations.
The two countries have fought multiple wars over the Karabakh region since the late 1980s. Azerbaijan regained full control of the territory in 2023.
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