Erdoğan congratulates Aliyev on controlling Lachin

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has extended his congratulations to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on his country’s control of Lachin and other cities in a phone conversation.

According to a statement by the Presidential Communications Directorate, Erdoğan spoke on the phone with Aliyev over the weekend to address the bilateral relations and recent regional developments.

“President Erdoğan expressed his pleasure and extended his congratulations since Azerbaijan took control of the city of Lachin as well as the villages of Zabukh and Sus yesterday [Aug. 26],” read the statement.

Erdoğan stated that he appreciates Aliyev’s efforts for a just and sustainable solution aimed at stability and peace in the Southern Caucasus.

Noting that Ankara hopes the Türkiye-Armenia and the Azerbaijan-Armenia processes advance in such a manner as to consolidate one another, Erdoğan stressed that Türkiye stands with brotherly Azerbaijan under all circumstances.

Azerbaijani troops had moved into Lachin to replace Russian peacekeepers deployed there in line with a ceasefire agreement signed with Armenia in 2020 following a six-week long war in Karabakh.

“We, the Azerbaijanis, have returned to Lachin. Azerbaijan’s army is now stationed in the city of Lachin. The villages of Zabukh and Sus were taken under control,” Aliyev announced on Twitter on Aug. 26.

“We welcome the return of the city of Lachin and the villages of Zabuh and Sus to Azerbaijan as part of the process that continues in line with the provisions of the Trilateral Declaration dated Nov. 9, 2020,” said the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Aug. 26.

“We hope that this development, which is a significant stage in establishing peace and stability in the South Caucasus, will contribute to the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia as well as to the normalization of the region as a whole,” the ministry noted.

“As it was until now, Türkiye will continue to support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of brotherly Azerbaijan.”