Erdogan and Aliyev in Shushi: Baku notes the peace treaty with Armenia is still unsigned
- Published
- Place
- Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travelled to Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday 8 November at Ilham Aliyev’s invitation for “Victory Day”, which Azerbaijan has celebrated since the 2020 war. Welcomed at Fuzuli airport, the two presidents held one-on-one talks in Shushi (Shusha for Baku), posed in front of the town’s fortress, then visited the Khojaly memorial and Stepanakert (Khankendi for Baku). Speaking to the press, Ilham Aliyev noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan initialled the peace treaty more than a year ago without signing it, for “well known” reasons, while saying he hoped for “concrete results”. He listed the “Zangezur corridor” among the issues discussed. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he supported Baku’s efforts towards “lasting peace”.
Analysis
The visit follows weeks of public friction between Ankara and Baku, triggered by an Azerbaijani school rule that effectively bars the Islamic headscarf from classrooms; Ilham Aliyev skipped the Turkic summit in Ankara on 30 October. Shushi served as the backdrop for a reconciliation. For Yerevan the message is twofold: the Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance remains solid, and the “reasons” Baku mentions point to its demand that Armenia revise its Constitution.
Possible consequences
The treaty’s signature still hinges on Armenia’s constitutional timetable: Nikol Pashinyan has promised a draft new Constitution by the end of the year.
