On November 8, President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan telephoned President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated the head of our state on Victory Day, conveyed his wishes of peace, well-being and prosperity to the fraternal people of Azerbaijan. The President of Turkey said wished for the peace of the souls of the martyrs who died in the Patriotic War.

The President of Azerbaijan thanked the President of Turkey for his attention and congratulations.

Expressing again the appreciation for the support Turkey and personally Recep Tayyip Erdogan provided for this Victory, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that it was the decisive position and statements of the Turkish President from the first days of the war that showed the world that Azerbaijan was not alone and that Turkey was next to it. All this provided tremendous moral support for our people and the Army.

The head of state noted that the recent visit of the President of Turkey to Fuzuli and Zangilan districts was another manifestation of the Azerbaijani-Turkish brotherhood.

The heads of state noted that the Victory was another bright page of the Azerbaijani-Turkish brotherhood and unity.

During the telephone conversation, the sides expressed their confidence that friendly and fraternal relations between our countries would continue to develop successfully in all spheres and that Azerbaijan and Turkey would always be next to each other.

Note, according to the decree of President Ilham Aliyev "On the establishment of Victory Day in the Republic of Azerbaijan" signed on December 3, 2020, November 8 is celebrated as Victory Day in Azerbaijan.

On September 27, 2020, in response to the large-scale provocation of the Armenian armed forces on the frontline, the Azerbaijani Army launched a counter-offensive operation, later called the "Iron Fist". The 44-day Second Karabakh War, which erupted as a result, put an end to nearly thirty years of occupation of Azerbaijani territories and the restoration of the country's territorial integrity.

The liberation of Shusha, the pearl of Karabakh, dear to every Azerbaijani, on November 8, played a decisive role in the fate of the war, leading to the defeat of Armenia's political and military leadership and the cessation of hostilities.

The operation to liberate Shusha from occupation will go down in history forever. Shusha, the crown and beating heart of Karabakh, was a natural fortification, so it was impossible to enter the city with tanks or other heavy weapons. There were two options to return it. In the first case, the Armenian armed forces in the city could be destroyed by airstrikes and artillery fire. The command did not go for it. Because the bombing of the city would cause great destruction. Therefore, hand-to-hand combat tactics were chosen as an alternative. Azerbaijani heroic soldiers and officers crossed the thick forests, rocks and mountains with light weapons and destroyed the Armenian army in a face-to-face battle.

Taking into account the historical significance of the city of Shusha and its liberation from occupation, this unprecedented victory - Victory Day, which has become a celebration of the determination and strength of

Azerbaijani people and is of exceptional importance for the future development and prestige of Azerbaijan.

On November 10, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed a trilateral statement on a complete ceasefire of all military operations in the conflict zone. According to the statement, Agdam was liberated on November 20, Kalbajar on November 25, and Lachin on December 1 without a single shot being fired and no more soldiers being killed. The statement also announced the construction of new transport communications connecting the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and the western regions of Azerbaijan.

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