Turkey celebrates centenary of Baku’s liberation

By Tugcenur Yilmaz

ANKARA

Turkey on Saturday celebrated the 100th anniversary of the liberation of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

“We celebrate the anniversary of the liberation of Baku and commemorate with respect, gratitude mercy our 1,132 martyrs who sacrificed their lives for this cause together with our Azerbaijani brothers who fell martyrs for the sake of their motherland,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“The Islamic Army of the Caucasus and this meaningful anniversary are among the milestones of the common fate of Turkey and Azerbaijan, which finds its meaning through the maxim ‘Two States, One Nation’,” the statement added.

According to the statement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is scheduled to visit Azerbaijan on Saturday, will participate in a celebration ceremony along with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.

“Some troops of the Turkish Armed Forces and Azerbaijani Armed Forces will together join the celebrations,” the statement added.

This Saturday marks “the 100th anniversary of the liberation of Baku under the leadership of the Islamic Army of the Caucasus led by Nuri Pasha (Killigil), which was founded right after Azerbaijan’s plea from the Ottoman Empire, following brotherly Azerbaijan’s first declaration of independence in 1918,” the statement said.

“The liberation of Baku at that time paved the way for the transfer of the capital from Ganja to Baku and to ensure the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and set the basis for its contemporary boundaries,” the statement added.

“The anniversary of this great victory, won by the Islamic Army of the Caucasus, which was composed of elite soldiers and sent to Azerbaijan in the final months of the First World War, has a privileged place as a symbol of fraternity and solidarity between Turkey and Azerbaijan,” it added.