Azerbaijan-Turkey Brotherhood Park opens

QUBA, Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijan-Turkey Brotherhood Park opened Monday in the city of Guba in Azerbaijan’s northeastern Quba district.

The park’s opening ceremony was attended by Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan Cahit Bagci, Ziyaddin Aliyev, the head of the Guba executive authority, and lawmakers Ahliman Amiraslanov and Ganira Pashayeva.

Delivering a speech at the ceremony, Bagci noted that today is also the 98th anniversary of the birth of Azerbaijan’s national leader Heydar Aliyev

He also congratulated Azerbaijan for its victory in the recent war against Armenian forces to liberate occupied Upper-Karabakh.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Aliyev underscored the strong and historical bonds shared by the Turkish and Azerbaijani nations and praised Turkey’s contribution to the liberation of Armenian occupied territories.

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

On Sept. 27, 2020, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and went on to violate several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, which ended in a deal signed on Nov. 10 last year, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the Armenian occupation.

“Through this park, we wanted to express our gratitude towards Turkey and contribute to eternal Turkish-Azerbaijani brotherhood,” he said.

The park was decorated with flags and pictures of the two countries’ founders, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and Haydar Aliyev.

Quotes from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev manifesting the two nations’ brotherhood were also visible on the walls surrounding the park.

​​​​​​​•Writing by Ahmet Gencturk