Turkish president visits Shusha with Aliyev on Victory Day anniversary

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Shusha — the historic city liberated during the 2020 conflict — on Sunday to mark the sixth anniversary of Victory Day, touring the fortress and memorial sites commemorating the liberation of territories previously under Armenian occupation.

Official ceremonies

Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan arrived at Fuzuli International Airport before traveling to the Shusha Governor's Office, where Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva welcomed the Turkish delegation. A military band performed the national anthems of both nations as the two leaders took their places at the ceremony venue, followed by a closed-door meeting and a joint news conference at the governor's office.

Memorial visits

Following the news conference, Erdogan and Aliyev toured the Shusha Fortress together. The Turkish president also visited the Khojaly Genocide Memorial and accompanying museum in Karabakh, accompanied by Aliyev. The two leaders later traveled to the Victory Monument in Khankendi to pay respects to those killed during the 44-day war.

Pledge for reconstruction

In a post on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, Erdogan said he was pleased to mark the anniversary alongside Aliyev in the city he described as a place of "history, nature and culture." "I was pleased to mark the sixth anniversary of the Karabakh Victory together with Azerbaijani President and my dear brother Ilham Aliyev in beautiful Shusha," he said. He pledged that Türkiye would continue supporting Baku's efforts, stating: "God willing, we will continue to share our experience along this path and contribute to reconstruction and development efforts." The 2020 conflict concluded on November 10 with a trilateral ceasefire agreement that restored Azerbaijani sovereignty over substantial portions of Karabakh.