Turkish parliament committee approves Shusha Declaration signed with Azerbaijan

ANKARA

Turkish parliament's foreign affairs committee on Thursday approved the bill on the historic Shusha Declaration signed by Turkiye and Azerbaijan on June 15, 2021.

Speaking to the committee members, the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kiran said Turkiye attaches importance to keeping its relations with Azerbaijan "at a high level."

Kiran reiterated that Azerbaijan's investment in Turkiye exceeded $20 billion "and our investment in Azerbaijan exceeded $12 billion."

He said that Turkiye and Azerbaijan signed various titles in the military and other fields, adding that the two countries expanded the scope of joint military exercises.

"We view our relations with Azerbaijan as a historical and legal responsibility," he noted.

Turkiye and Azerbaijan signed the Shusha Declaration, which focuses on defense cooperation and establishing new transportation routes.

The event was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who met in the historic city of Shusha, which was liberated in November 2020 from nearly 30 years of Armenian occupation.

The declaration affirms joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats and the restructuring and modernization of their armed forces.

Turkiye was a key backer of Azerbaijan during the 44-day Karabakh war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which erupted on Sept. 27, 2020 and ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire on Nov. 10.