ISTANBUL

Azerbaijan and Türkiye “want peace, and stability in the region, not war,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Monday.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline groundbreaking ceremony in Nakhchivan, Aliyev said: “By supporting each other, we are guiding regional issues in the right direction. We want peace and stability in the region, not war.”

“Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline groundbreaking ceremony is a historic moment in Türkiye-Azerbaijan’s brotherly relations,” he said.

“It will definitely improve bilateral relations. It will provide energy security for the region of Nakhchivan.”

The Shusha Declaration has raised Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations to a new level, he said.

Azerbaijan gained full sovereignty for the Karabakh region as a result of a military operation carried out five days ago, Aliyev added.

Within 24 hours of the anti-terror operation, the Armenian army surrendered in the Azerbaijani land they were occupying, he added.

"The Republic of Azerbaijan has ensured that the humanitarian aid is delivered to Armenian people living there," he said.

Last week, in the wake of provocations by Armenian forces in Karabakh, Azerbaijan said it had launched "counter-terrorism" activities in the region to uphold a 2020 trilateral peace agreement with Russia and Armenia. After 24 hours, a cease-fire was reached in the region.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation during 44 days of clashes. The war ended that November with a Russia-brokered cease-fire.

Tensions between the two nations, however, continue despite ongoing talks aiming for a long-term peace deal.

Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are set to meet on Oct. 5 in the Spanish city of Granada to discuss the signing of a peace treaty between the two countries.

Aliyev also hailed Erdogan's “fair, international law-based” statement at the UN General Assembly defending Baku's interests.

In his speech, President Erdogan emphasized that Karabakh is unequivocally Azerbaijani territory, rejecting any imposition of a different status.

He advocated for peaceful coexistence for all, including Armenians, within Azerbaijan's borders, reaffirming the "one nation, two states" principle and expressing support for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.