The Karabakh Victory has a great importance for the history of the Caucasus which has also become a turning point in Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, said Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar at a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on December 31, AzVision.az reports.

"I do hope that a line of communication between Nakhchivan and Zangilan will be established as soon as possible after the launch of the Joint Center for the coronation of this Victory. This is a close connection between the brothers - Turkey, Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan, "Akar added.

Note, a memorandum on setting up the joint Russian-Turkish center for monitoring the ceasefire in Karabakh was signed on November 11 following the results of the negotiations via a video link between Hulusi Akar and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity by liberating the lands from the Armenian occupation during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.

The war started on September 27 as Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery and Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front.

On November 10, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement to end six weeks of fierce fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Under the agreement, Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the front line in Nagorno-Karabakh and the corridor between the region and Armenia.

A total of 1,960 Russian peacekeepers were deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh under a five-year mandate.

In addition to the lands liberated by the Azerbaijani Army, according to the agreement, on 20 November, Armenia handed over the Aghdam region which lies to the east of Nagorno-Karabakh, to Azerbaijan. This followed on 25 November by the Kalbajar region to the northwest of Nagorno-Karabakh. 

Finally, on 1 December, Armenia handed over the Lachin District, over which the Lachin pass connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia passes.

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