ISTANBUL

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar marked the first anniversary Sunday of Azerbaijan's victory in the Karabakh war.

Speaking at an event in Istanbul, Tatar said Azerbaijan's victory is also that of the TRNC, Turkey and the entire Turkish world.

Congratulating Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the anniversary, he said it is necessary to act with unity as they are the “sons of the same ancestry and the same nation.”

"We have to develop such a policy to be strong together in the future,” he said, adding they have to stand tall to maintain the unity and solidarity.

Bilal Khan Pasha, the consul general of Pakistan in Istanbul, also celebrated the anniversary and expressed his condolences to the families of those who were martyred in the 44-day war.

Noting that Pakistan always stands by the side of Azerbaijan in its just cause, he said this support is based on friendship and is far from self-interest.

"Turkey, Azerbaijan and the TRNC are three states and a nation. Pakistan is with you as a brotherly country,” he added.

Liberation of Karabakh

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

New clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.

Prior to that, about 20% of Azerbaijan's territory was under illegal occupation.

The fighting ended with a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, with the cease-fire seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.

Two months later, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire region. It also included the establishment of a trilateral working group on Karabakh.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar