Türkiye expresses hope for historic Azerbaijani elections

ANKARA

The Turkish Foreign Ministry expressed its sincere hope on Monday that the parliamentary elections held in Azerbaijan on Sept. 1 would be "auspicious" for the brotherly nation.

The ministry highlighted in a statement the significance of the elections, describing them as historic.

"We consider these parliamentary elections as historic, as they were held in the entire country, including the territories that were liberated from occupation," the ministry stated.

This election marks the first time in 30 years that parliamentary elections were held across all of Azerbaijan’s territories, including regions newly liberated from Armenian occupation.

“We firmly believe that the results will contribute significantly to the establishment of lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus,” it added.

The elections saw Azerbaijanis casting their votes to elect members to the 125-seat National Assembly. With approximately 6.421 million registered voters, a total of 990 candidates competed for seats in the legislature.

The early election follows President Ilham Aliyev's decision on June 28 to dissolve parliament and set Sept. 1 as the date for the election.