Azerbaijani, Turkish Presidents pay tribute to martyrs in Baku

DM Monitoring

BAKU: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan have visited the Alley of Martyrs in Baku.
President Aliyev and President Erdogan laid wreaths at the Eternal Flame monument erected in memory of Azerbaijani heroes who gave their lives for the country`s independence and territorial integrity. The Azerbaijani and Turkish presidents then laid wreaths at a monument to Turkish soldiers in the Alley of Martyrs.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that he believes that Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev will continue to write history.
The Turkish president stressed that Turkey will always be close to Azerbaijan. “Turkey has always been guided in relations with Azerbaijan by the motto of Azerbaijani great leader Heydar Aliyev “one nation, two states”, as well as founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s words “Azerbaijan’s sorrow is our sorrow and its joy is our joy”,” the Turkish president said.
“The 30-year occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region was a wound for Turkey,” the Turkish president added. “And today we celebrate the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region together. We are very proud to be with you on this solemn day. I express my gratitude to my dear brother President Ilham Aliyev for the invitation and hospitality. May Allah rest the souls of the martyrs of the 44-day war and wish healing to the wounded.”
Mr. Erdogan added that the Armenian authorities spent the resources of the people to keep the Azerbaijani lands under occupation.
The Victory Parade is being held in Azerbaijan, following a victorious 44-day war to liberate the previously occupied lands of Azerbaijan by Armenian Armed Forces.
“We are waiting for decisive steps from Armenia. We want the Armenians to get rid of the diaspora’s oppression, to demonstrate good-neighborly relations instead of hostility. If the Armenian people draw conclusions from the events in Karabakh, this will lead to the beginning of a new era in the region,” Erdogan said. Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation from late Sept. to early Nov. 2020, Azerbaijan has pushed Armenia to sign the surrender document.