Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in Karabakh on the day Azerbaijan marked the sixth anniversary of its victory in the Second Karabakh War. The Azerbaijani president’s press service said a guard of honor had been formed to welcome the Turkish leader at Fuzuli International Airport, where he and his wife, Emine Erdoğan, were greeted by President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.
According to Anadolu, the leaders presented flowers to each other’s wives during the welcome, while Mehriban Aliyeva warmly embraced Emine Erdoğan. The presidents embraced directly at the aircraft stairs.
Erdoğan came at Aliyev’s invitation. The date of the visit was chosen deliberately: on November 8, 2020, the Azerbaijani army liberated Shusha. Aliyev has said that this determined the outcome of the 44-day war, which is why the day is celebrated in Azerbaijan as Victory Day. The Turkish president is accompanied by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Intelligence Organization chief İbrahim Kalın, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, and Binali Yıldırım, chairman of the Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States.
These images were filmed by Fulya Öztürk, a correspondent for the Turkish television channel CNN Türk. In the video, Erdoğan and his wife descend the aircraft stairs, while Ilham Aliyev and Mehriban Aliyeva wait below. The presidents embrace, after which the Turkish leader greets those welcoming him.
Walking arm in arm across the airfield
After the greetings, Aliyev and Erdoğan walked arm in arm across the airfield toward the terminal building. The first ladies and members of the Azerbaijani president’s family walked beside them. Fulya Öztürk asked Erdoğan how he felt about being back in Karabakh. “We have wonderful feelings. And the weather is good,” the Turkish president replied. When the journalist congratulated Aliyev on Victory Day, he responded: “Thank you, welcome.”
Fuzuli Airport was built in the territories liberated after the 2020 war, and Aliyev and Erdoğan opened it together in 2021. The leaders traveled from Fuzuli to Shusha. Later, at a news conference, Erdoğan said they had passed through seven tunnels on the way. “These seven tunnels show how successfully infrastructure construction is progressing in the region. We are happy to see how far we have come,” he said.
In this video, also filmed by Fulya Öztürk, Erdoğan and Aliyev smile at the camera while standing arm in arm against the backdrop of the Turkish president’s aircraft. The leaders then head toward the terminal building surrounded by their families and delegations.
Anthems and guard of honor in Shusha
An official welcoming ceremony was held in Shusha. A guard of honor stood formed in the square, where the flags of the two countries flew. The guard commander reported to the Turkish president, and the national anthems of Türkiye and Azerbaijan were played. To the sound of a military march, the guard of honor paraded before the heads of state, after which the presidents introduced the members of their delegations to each other.
After the ceremony, Aliyev and Erdoğan took an official family photo with their wives. The presidents then held a one-on-one meeting and a joint news conference, after which they visited the Memorial to the Victims of the Khojaly Genocide and the Victory Monument in Khankendi together.
Photo: Anadolu, press service of the President of Azerbaijan. Video: Fulya Öztürk / CNN Türk
