President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is paying a one-day working visit to Nakhchivan on Sept. 25, 2023, upon the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan. Erdoğan's visit to Nakhchivan was aimed at discussions with Aliyev about bilateral relations and regional and global issues. Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani enclave isolated from the mainland by Armenian territory, shares a narrow border with Türkiye.
"New windows of opportunity have opened for comprehensive normalization in the region. I believe that this opportunity should be seized," Erdoğan stated during a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart, İlham Aliyev, amid his one-day visit to Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave on Sept. 25.
Congrats to Azerbaijan Army
Erdoğan's comments came in the wake of a 24-hour military operation by Azerbaijan that compelled separatist authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh to agree to lay down their weapons and engage in talks for the region's reintegration into Azerbaijan, ending three decades of separatist rule.
"I congratulate the victorious Azerbaijani army for its historical success and its humanitarian attitude towards civilians," he remarked.
In the aftermath of the ceasefire, Azerbaijan has pledged to respect the rights of ethnic Armenians in the region and restore supplies, while the Armenian government has reported that 4,850 Nagorno-Karabakh residents fled to Armenia as of midday on Sept. 25.
