We all have to continue to be there for Azerbaijan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at the Turkic Council meeting on Wednesday, adding that he will visit Nagorno-Karabakh’s Shusha following the holy month of Ramadan.
"It is important that we continue to be on the side of Azerbaijan with all our capabilities for the protection and recovery of Turkic structures in Karabakh," Erdoğan stated, pointing out that 63 out of 67 mosques were destroyed in the region during Armenian occupation, while churches were also ruined.
The Azerbaijani Armed Forces liberated Shusha in November after 28 years of Armenian occupation. Shusha, known as the pearl of Nagorno-Karabakh, was occupied by Armenia on May 8, 1992.
The town has a significant military value since it is located on strategic high ground about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of the region’s capital over Khankendi (Stepanakert) and on the road linking the city with Armenian territory. Besides its strategic significance, the town is known as a symbol of Azerbaijani history and culture with many historic sites, the restoration of which has started. Many prominent Azerbaijani musicians and scholars were born in the city.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in January declared Shusha the country’s cultural capital.
