Symbols of brotherhood: Shusha, Victory Day, and the answer of Aliyev and Erdogan to attempts to split the unity of Baku and Ankara

Azerbaijani and Turkish folklore contains many proverbs and sayings about the unenviable fate of those who try to sow discord between brothers.

Folk wisdom, tested by time, also finds confirmation in modern politics. Every time biased forces have sought to cast doubt on the strength of allied relations and to artificially create a conflict where there were no grounds for it — by analogy with the notorious "Zurich Protocols" — these attempts have invariably failed.

The statements by the presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey, Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, delivered on November 8 in Shusha, became an extremely clear and categorical answer to all those who counted on weakening Azerbaijani-Turkish unity. In the words of the two leaders there was neither diplomatic ambiguity nor room for equivocal interpretations: the brotherhood of the two peoples is not subject to revision, and the alliance does not depend on opportunistic circumstances.

Particular symbolism was lent to these messages by the time and place where they were delivered — November 8, Victory Day, in Shusha, a city whose liberation, having become one of the important stages of the Second Karabakh War, has deep historical significance, and where the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Turkey was signed. Thus, ancient Shusha once again became evidence that political agreements rest on a far deeper foundation — a common history, national memory and the unity of peoples.

An unbreakable foundation

President Erdogan's visit to Azerbaijan on Victory Day can in itself be regarded as a political signal. The presence of the Turkish leader in Karabakh on such a significant date recalled the position Ankara demonstrated during a difficult period for Azerbaijan.

In his speech, President Ilham Aliyev particularly emphasized the importance of Turkey's support during the Patriotic War, noting that Erdogan's statements in the first hours of the war and his telephone conversation with him demonstrated to the whole world whose side the brotherly country was on. "For 44 days, you, my dear brother, and the brotherly Turkish people were beside us. The statement you made in the first hours of the war, as well as the telephone conversation with me, demonstrated to the whole world that brotherly Turkey stands beside Azerbaijan. Your statement gave us additional strength, inspired us. Your historic words, 'Azerbaijan is not alone, Turkey is beside it,' will never be forgotten. The Azerbaijani people know this well and are grateful for it to you personally and to the brotherly Turkish people. The political and moral support you provided strengthened our spirit even more" — these words of the Azerbaijani leader reflect a fundamental feature of the relations between the two states.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for his part, emphasized the significance of Azerbaijan's Victory for the entire Turkic world: "Six years ago, the people of Azerbaijan, rallying under the resolute leadership of my brother Ilham Aliyev, heroically fighting, liberated Karabakh. This glorious Victory became the best embodiment of Azerbaijan's just struggle and remains a source of pride for the entire Turkic world." The head of the Turkish state focused attention on the deep value-based foundation of this alliance, which goes far beyond pragmatic geopolitics: "As you know, relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan have withstood numerous tests of time, reaching today's high level. The unity of hearts, expressed in the saying 'One nation, two states,' draws strength from a common past, illuminating the path to the future with an unquenchable flame. Our brotherhood is much broader than the concept of a common language, history and culture. The joy of Baku is also the joy of Ankara, and pride in Shusha is perceived by us as a matter of pride for Turkey."

Both leaders are united in their opinion on the main point: Azerbaijani-Turkish brotherhood has withstood the test of the harshest crises, and any destructive calculations aimed at a split are doomed to failure from the outset, since the union of the two peoples is cemented not by momentary opportunistic interests, but by common roots, the blood of heroes and the firm political will of the leaders.

The formula of the alliance

That is precisely why any attempts to present the relations between Baku and Ankara as a situational tandem driven exclusively by current interests do not stand up to comparison with reality. Bilateral cooperation has significantly deeper roots, and the signing of the Shusha Declaration on June 15, 2021 became the natural outcome of many years of development of relations between the two states, officially consolidating an allied model that already existed in the political, cultural and social dimensions. President Ilham Aliyev speaks about this as follows: "The 44-day Patriotic War once again demonstrated Turkish-Azerbaijani unity. Seven months after that, here in Shusha, the historic Shusha Declaration was signed, which officially raised our relations to the level of alliance, although we had always been allies before that as well. The peoples of Turkey and Azerbaijan are brotherly peoples. I have repeatedly said that there are no peoples and states in the world as closely connected to each other as ours. This is our great asset. The Shusha Declaration merely placed these historical and cultural ties within an official framework. We are united by a common history, ethnic roots, language, literature and spiritual values. This is a great asset, and today interstate relations are also developing on this asset, on this solid foundation."

A firm message

But the most fundamental part of the leaders' messages came later — as a direct and unambiguous answer to all those who are trying to weaken Azerbaijani-Turkish unity.

"Those who try to weaken our brotherhood will never achieve their goals. So it has been, so it is and so it will be! Our unity will be eternal!" the Turkish leader stated.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed the same position even more categorically: "Our unity, our brotherhood is indestructible. And those who want to shake it will never achieve their goal, their dreams will remain unfulfilled. We — two peoples and, above all, two leaders — will not allow anyone to come between us or cast a shadow on our unity, brotherhood and solidarity for the sake of personal interests.

The principled nature of these statements lies in the fact that both leaders not only reject the possibility of a split, but also point to its artificial character. There are no fundamental contradictions between Azerbaijan and Turkey that could justify attempts to set them against each other. On the contrary, the strategic interests of the two states largely coincide, and mutual support is one of the most important factors of regional stability.

Victory in war and in peace

An important component of the statements in Shusha was the topic of the post-conflict period. Azerbaijan's victory in the Patriotic War changed the regional political reality; however, the final consolidation of these changes requires consistent work on normalizing relations with Armenia.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that today a normalization process is underway between the two countries, which, in his words, should lead to concrete results. At the same time, the head of state drew attention to the incompleteness of the peace process: "Today, a process of normalization of relations is underway between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and I hope that it will lead to concrete results. As you know, more than a year has already passed since Armenia and Azerbaijan initialed the peace agreement, but the final signature has not yet been affixed. There are certain reasons for this. I believe that the Turkish and Azerbaijani public are well aware of this."

This wording is of fundamental importance. Baku demonstrates a commitment to a peaceful settlement, but at the same time makes it clear that the very fact of initialing the document does not mean the automatic completion of the process. A lasting peace must be based on the removal of obstacles that continue to persist.

Turkey's position on this issue also remains consistent. "The goal today is to consolidate the Victory won on the battlefield by achieving lasting peace and stability. Turkey has supported Azerbaijan's just struggle and Baku's sincere efforts to ensure long-term peace," Erdogan emphasized.

In this context, it is especially important that Ankara views the peace process as a logical continuation of the Azerbaijani victory. This is about consolidating new realities, establishing lasting peace and the sustainable development of the region. And allied support creates additional opportunities for advancing the peace agenda — it is precisely this approach that allows us to speak of Turkish-Azerbaijani unity as a factor of stability and security in the region.

A factor of influence

A separate place in the Azerbaijani leader's statement was occupied by an assessment of Turkey's role in the modern international space: "Today, the Turkish state under the leadership of my dear brother, esteemed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has turned into a great power, it is a great force on a global scale. Turkey plays a decisive role not only in regional processes, but also in resolving issues of global significance. Turkey's strong economy, powerful industrial potential and political weight today are a reality that greatly pleases us and gives us strength."

The President of Azerbaijan, at the same time, drew attention to the country's own path of development: "Azerbaijan has also traveled a great path of development in recent years and today is confidently moving along this path." This phrase contains an important political logic of the alliance — it is about the mutual strengthening of two independent countries possessing their own capabilities, resources and strategic goals.

The Azerbaijani leader characterized the regional significance of this interaction as follows: "Together we are even stronger. Turkish-Azerbaijani unity is an important factor across a vast geographical space. This is a factor of stability, cooperation and security," Ilham Aliyev emphasized.

It is precisely in this capacity that the alliance between Baku and Ankara acquires special significance in conditions of a changing world order. The strategic depth of these relations makes attempts to weaken Azerbaijani-Turkish relations unpromising.

Cooperation in Karabakh

The political solidarity of Azerbaijan and Turkey is not limited to statements and symbolic gestures. One of the most vivid confirmations of the alliance is cooperation in the restoration of Azerbaijan's liberated territories.

President Erdogan emphasized that Turkey highly values and closely follows Azerbaijan's efforts to restore Karabakh and bring former life back to these lands. In his words, the revival of the region appeared not only as a large-scale state program, but also as a process filled with deep human meaning: "Every new hearth lit by families returning to Karabakh, every new project being implemented and every site of historical heritage being restored demonstrate the Azerbaijani people's faith in the future."

Ankara, for its part, intends to continue practical support for these processes: "Turkey will continue to share its experience and contribute to the restoration of the region. The latest example of this was the 'smart forest nursery' project in Jabrayil. This project, implemented with the support of Turkey's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, became new evidence of Turkish-Azerbaijani cooperation. In addition, construction has begun in the Aghdam district on a school with 40 classrooms covering an area of 14,500 square meters. Next year, God willing, together with my brother Ilham Aliyev we will open this educational institution."

Symbolizing the transition from the period of occupation to return, creation and development, the process of restoring Karabakh has special significance for the entire Azerbaijani national agenda. Turkish support here is a continuation of the solidarity that manifested itself during the war years. If at that time the brotherhood of the two peoples was expressed primarily in political and moral support for Azerbaijan's just struggle, today it is embodied in concrete projects aimed at peaceful life.

In the format of the Turkic world

The Azerbaijani-Turkish alliance also has significance in the broader context of strengthening cooperation among Turkic states. In his speech, President Erdogan noted that Turkey and Azerbaijan are making efforts to ensure that their vision of unity becomes generally accepted in the Turkic world. He paid special attention to the Organization of Turkic States, whose level of development he called the result of joint efforts: "The high level achieved today by the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) is a concrete result of our common efforts, a manifestation of a common will."

The President of Turkey also expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for the efforts undertaken to strengthen the unity of the Turkic world during its chairmanship of the OTS. "During its chairmanship of the OTS, Turkey will strive to increase the effectiveness and strengthen the institutional base of the organization," he said.

In this case, it is a matter of a gradual transition from historical and cultural closeness to more systemic political and economic interaction. A common language, history and spiritual values create the foundation; however, the sustainability of the association is determined primarily by the ability of states to implement joint initiatives. Azerbaijan and Turkey act in this process as key partners whose alliance sets a certain benchmark for other participants in the common Turkic space. At the same time, the strengthening of the OTS should not be perceived as a closed project. On the contrary, the development of cooperation between Turkic states is capable of expanding opportunities for regional trade, transport connectivity, energy cooperation and cultural exchange. That is precisely why the significance of Azerbaijani-Turkish unity extends far beyond the bilateral agenda, becoming part of a broader process of forming sustainable ties between states united by common strategic interests.

A place where the past determines the future

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Shusha on Victory Day was filled with symbols, each of which had its own political significance. All of this added up to a single picture reflecting not only the results of the past, but also the strategic guidelines of the future.

Erdogan, speaking about the scale of the restoration of the liberated territories, drew attention to what he had seen on the way to Shusha: "On the way to the venue of today's event, we passed through seven tunnels. These tunnels demonstrate the success of efforts to restore the infrastructure of the liberated region." In these words there is recognition of the scale of the transformations taking place in Karabakh. And at the same time, evidence that the victory won on the battlefield is gradually being filled with new, peaceful content: the return of people, the construction of roads, the revival of cities and villages.

But perhaps the most emotional moment of the Turkish leader's speech was his reference to the well-known lines of the outstanding Azerbaijani poet Bakhtiyar Vahabzade, expressing the wish that the flags of the two states always fly side by side. This wish became the symbolic conclusion of a visit during which not only political agreements were confirmed, but also the immutability of the historical choice of the two peoples.

President Ilham Aliyev, summing up the meeting, emphasized: "Despite a busy schedule, the presence here in Karabakh on this Victory Day of my dear brother, the esteemed President, once again demonstrates our unity to the whole world. I am confident that this unity will be eternal. I know that no one — neither in Turkey nor in Azerbaijan — has any doubts about this. We were together in the past, we were together during the war, we are together today and we will be together in the future. I believe that this is precisely the main result of this historic visit."

In these messages, in essence, lies the entire meaning of the dialogue that took place in Shusha. The alliance of Azerbaijan and Turkey is not a temporary coincidence of interests or a reaction to individual challenges. It rests on historical memory, common values, mutual trust and strategic vision. Attempts to sow division in these relations may take various forms — from political insinuations to the artificial escalation of contradictions. However, their fundamental weakness lies in the absence of any real basis for setting the two brotherly peoples against each other, while differing approaches on individual issues are incapable of overshadowing the commonality of strategic interests and the closeness of the peoples.

Shusha in this sense has become not merely the venue of yet another top-level meeting. It once again reminded us that historical ties that have stood the test of time cannot be destroyed by external manipulations.

And if the Shusha Declaration consolidated the alliance of the two states, then the statements of Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan on November 8 confirmed its immutability.

Azerbaijan and Turkey were together in difficult periods, and they are together today, as the region enters a new stage of development. And, as both leaders made unambiguously clear, they intend to remain together in the future. In this lies not only a historical regularity, but also a political formula that Shusha has once again conveyed to the whole world: brotherhood based on a common destiny and mutual trust does not need protection from doubts — it is itself the answer to those who try to destroy it.