5 years have passed since the signing of the Shushi Declaration, which demands have been fulfilled and why?

Azerbaijan and Turkey celebrate the 5th anniversary of the signing of the Shushi Declaration. On that occasion, “Yeni Azerbaijan” initiated an international conference in the occupied fortress city: “Regional contribution to global security. Peacebuilding in the South Caucasus”.

Address to conference participants in the message The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, once again noted that in Artsakh in 2020. 44-day war and 2023 on September 19-20, as a result of the “anti-terrorist operation”, they managed to “liberate their occupied lands and restore the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan”.

“Azerbaijan itself ensured the implementation of the resolutions of the UN Security Council, which remained on paper for almost 30 years.” he emphasized, adding that in 2025 The signing of the joint declaration by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the presence of US President Donald Trump in Washington and the signing of the peace treaty completely changed the situation in the South Caucasus.

In this context, Aliyev continued. «The implemented “Zangezur Corridor” will connect the main part of Azerbaijan with the Nakhichevan region and will become one of the key sections of the “Middle Corridor”.

In other words, what was fixed in 2021 is being implemented. With the Shushi Declaration signed on June 15, there is nothing declarative here, but a clear plan of action.

Turkish-Azerbaijani Shushi Declaration and “Zangezur Corridor”

Let’s remember what are the points that gave Azerbaijan-Turkey relations legality, so to speak in the document and which ones have come true.

■ The parties will continue efforts aimed at strengthening stability and security in the Caucasus region, restoring all economic and transport links, as well as regulating relations between the states of the region and ensuring long-term peace. In this context, the special geographical position of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic of the Republic of Azerbaijan will be taken into account.

■ The parties will strengthen mutual cooperationaiming to increase the competitiveness of the middle East-West transport corridor passing through the territory of the two countries. Azerbaijan and Turkey, using the technologies of intelligent transport systems, will further develop the transit-transport potential in the Azerbaijani-Turkish sections of the international transport corridors.

■ Sides are highlighted The opening of the “Zangezur Corridor” connecting Azerbaijan and Turkey and, as a continuation of it, the important contribution of the construction of the Nakhichevan-Kars railway to the activation of transport and communication links between the two countries.

■ The parties emphasize the leading role of Turkey and Azerbaijan in the implementation of the strategic “Southern Gas Corridor”, which contributes to the energy security of the region and Europe, as well as ensures the diversification of natural gas sources and routes. The parties will continue their efforts in a coordinated manner aimed at the effective use and further development of the Southern Gas Corridor. The parties, also taking into account the processes taking place in the global energy sector, express their intention to continue efforts in the field of electricity, activating the steps that promote regional cooperation in order to strengthen the security of energy supply in the region.

Are we not witnessing today the steps towards the implementation of the “Trump’s Way” for the Armenian side, and the “Zangezur Corridor” still called by the Turkish-Azerbaijani side, of course we do. Moreover, we are witnessing that Iran is trying to act in the South Caucasus not only as a security, but also as a transport and economic actor. And, as with us in the conversation Aram Shahnazaryan, an expert on Iranian affairs and political analyst, noted, “Tehran continues to treat TRIPP with reservations, but after the experience of the war, it pays more attention not to the complete rejection of the initiative, but to what kind of place and role it can have in these processes.”

As for energy security, this is a priority area for both Baku and Ankara, the importance of which is increasingly emphasized.

168.amthe had written that works are underway to connect the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan to the main energy system of Azerbaijan and to form the Azerbaijan-Turkey-Europe energy corridor.

In this context, it was informed that a high-voltage transmission line with a voltage of 330 kilovolts and a capacity of 1000 megawatts is being built, starting from “Jrakan (Jabrayil)”, and that in the next phase of the project, an additional 44 km long transmission line will be built, which will cross the “Zangezur Corridor”.

Rashad Mammadov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Turkey last year referred to Prospects related to “Zangezur Corridor” and report the following:

“As Nakhichevan has no land connection with Azerbaijan, we are currently supplying it with natural gas through Turkey, through the Tbilisi-Erzrum pipeline. Recently, the possibility of building a second pipeline has appeared. In other words, there is a possibility to build a gas pipeline from Zangezur to Nakhichevan. Thanks to this, it also becomes possible to build a pipeline from Nakhijevan to Kars, which will open new perspectives,” he elaborated.

Turkish-Azerbaijani security commitments according to the Shushi Declaration, where does it lead?

“Shushi Declaration” implies mutual military assistance and close military industrial cooperation. In particular, it is stated in the document:

■ In the event of a threat or aggression by a third state to the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability or security of the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan and Turkey, the parties will hold joint consultations to eliminate this threat or aggression. Or they will come up with initiatives in accordance with the principles and goals of the UN Charter, and they will provide each other with the necessary assistance in accordance with the UN Charter. The scope and form of that assistance will be determined during urgent discussions, a decision will be made regarding the implementation of joint measures to ensure defense needs and the organization of coordinated activities of the armed forces and command structures.

Joint meetings of the security councils of the parties on national security issues will be held regularly, where issues of national defense, regional and international security affecting the interests of the parties will be discussed.

The parties will continue joint efforts to reorganize and modernize the armed forces of the two brotherly countries in accordance with modern requirements.

■ The parties will encourage the exchange of personnel aimed at strengthening defense capabilities and military security. conducting joint exercises and military exercises, increasing the interoperability of the armed forces of the two countries. Azerbaijan and Turkey will support joint military exercises with the armies of other friendly states.

The parties will encourage the implementation of joint projects in the field of defense industry, support the implementation of joint research and production works, cooperation of the defense industry structures of the two countries in the field of military products and services in the domestic and international markets, etc.

We repeatedly detailed we have presented after the war, the role of the Turkish armed forces and the high-ranking military in rebuilding the Azerbaijani army and having an army of the Turkish model. Moreover, we reported that high positions in the Azerbaijani army are entrusted to the heroes of the 44-day war and those who know the subtleties of the Turkish army. The servicemen of Azerbaijan’s special forces are still undergoing special training in Turkey, we still put aside the Turkish influence on the separate unified army of Nakhichevan and the increase in the number of Turkish-Azerbaijani joint military exercises every year. Only for 2025, 30 military exercises were planned, as well as more than 70 conferences, seminars, courses, with an emphasis on adapting to the Turkish military model and increasing combat capability.

In these 5 years, the demand for joint military exercises with friendly countries was not ignored: Pakistan-Turkey-Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan-Qatar-Uzbekistan, Pakistan-Turkey, etc.

As for the points of the declaration concerning the defense industry, we wrote that in recent years, Turkish military industrial companies started to establish subsidiaries, for example, in Baku, Ganja, with the aim of localizing production and reducing foreign dependence.

According to various sources, a number of large companies operating in Turkey, ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN, TAI (Turkish Aerospace Industries) and MKE (Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation), have established subsidiaries in Azerbaijan within the framework of joint projects with SOCAR and the State Ministry of Military Industry. Moreover, Turkish specialists are involved in military educational institutions of Azerbaijan, and a number of universities have been established are Turkish-Azerbaijani technological laboratories, what else? Shushi Declaration it is in logic, where, as we mentioned, there is talk about the development of Turkish-Azerbaijani joint technologies in the field of defense industry, conducting joint researches, organizing productions.

It should be noted that, in addition to this, the document includes information exchange in the military sphere and cooperation in the sphere of military intelligence. That is, they can share military security information (secret, top secret, special importance) with each other and use this information during joint operations. By the way, changes and additions to the memorandum can be made at any time by mutual agreement of the parties.

Let us add that not considering Turkey and Azerbaijan enough Shushi Declaration, in July 2025 had signed Memorandum of Understanding on “Strengthening Mutual Military Security”.

In a separate point in the declaration, the strengthening of cooperation between the Turkic states is also mentioned, which we have witnessed in recent years, when there were even high-level announcements about the holding of joint military exercises and the creation of a unified defense system. And the Turkish side never once made it clear to Baku that their victory in the 44-day war, the “liberation” of Shushi, was the victory of the Turkic world, and the architect of this political project was Turkey, which took a direct part in the 44-day war, where they had their respective roles in the defense of Turkey at that time. Minister Hulusi Akar, who made important visits at critical moments for Azerbaijan, in detailwe have referred.

During the days of the 44-day war, Hakan Fidan played an important role in management  was the National Intelligence Service of Turkey (MIT), today he is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, and not immediately after the 44-day war, he was awarded by the President of Turkey, Erdogan, in fact, also in 2020. for a mission in war.

 Pashinyan, an indirect third party of the Turkish-Azerbaijani Shushi declaration 

And the Turkish-Azerbaijani strategic document could not fail to refer to the historical facts related to Armenia.

■ The parties will encourage coordination and mutual support of diaspora activities to represent their countries and in conveying the historical truth related to the protection of national interests to the world community.

The parties, stressing that Armenia’s “groundless” (quotation marks – M.P.) demands against Turkey, attempts to distort history and politicize historical facts harm the peace and stability of the region, in this context strongly support Turkey’s efforts to open its archives related to the events of 1915, which push for the opening of archives in Armenia and other countries and the implementation of research on the subject by historians.

The parties will ensure the necessary public support for the important manifestations of the common values ​​of the two peoples, will carry out joint activities in the direction of the protection of historical and cultural heritage.

What is happening, the policy adopted by Nikol Pashinyan’s government to forget the genocidal acts of Azerbaijan and Turkey also stems from the Baku-Ankara Shushi declaration, that is, the current authorities of Armenia have indirectly made our country a party to this anti-Armenian document. Meanwhile, from this same declaration, we can assume that Turkey de jure and de facto supports Aliyev’s “Western Azerbaijan” political project, which is based on issues of human rights, protection of historical and cultural heritage.

Is there a guarantee that we will not record the implementation of this project arising from the Shushi Declaration, when all developments after 2021 have shown that nothing in the Shushi Declaration is declarative? Of course not.

In this context, let us remind that in February 2022, the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev signed in the Kremlin About allied cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan the declaration, in fact, this is not a false declaration from him either.

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