On this historical day
DEAR SHUSHA, YOU ARE FREE! Dear Shusha, we have returned! Dear Shusha, we will reinvigorate you! Karabakh is ours! Karabakh is Azerbaijan! Ilham Aliyev
The latest situation in the front on November 8
During the day on November 7 and night on November 8, the Armenian armed forces units fired at the positions of the units of the Azerbaijan Army and our human settlements in various directions of the front with different small arms, howitzers, and mortars.
The combat operations continued with varying intensity, mainly in the Aghdere, Aghdam, Khojavend, and Gubadli directions of the front. During the day, the enemy was seriously hit in the main directions of the front. In some areas of the front, the enemy was forced to retreat, suffering casualties on personnel and military vehicles.
The enemy, who is unable to resist in the front, finds firing at peaceful population and civilian infrastructure as a way out. As a result of artillery shelling of villages of Tartar, Barda, Aghdam, Aghjabedi, and Gubadli regions by Armenian armed forces units last day, some civilians were killed and injured, civilian infrastructure was damaged. The retaliatory actions taken by the Azerbaijan Army were only against legitimate military targets.
During the day, a large number of enemy troops, 4 – T-72 tanks, 2 – D-20 howitzers, and several military trucks full of ammunition were destroyed and wrecked.
Currently, combat operations are underway. The operational situation is under the control of our troops.
https://mod.gov.az/en/news/the-latest-situation-in-the-front-on-november-8-33720.html
Armenia violated ceasefire on the state border
Armenian armed forces units fired at the positions of the units of the Azerbaijan Army located at the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border using mortars and small arms.
Starting from the night of November 7 to November 8 until 05:00 in the morning, the positions of our military units located in Tovuz, Gadabay, and Dashkesan regions of Azerbaijan were intermittently fired by the enemy from the direction of Berd, Chambarak, and Vardenis regions of Armenia.
https://mod.gov.az/en/news/armenia-violated-ceasefire-on-the-state-border-33723.html
The enemy fired at our human settlements
On November 8, from 07:40 to 08:10, Armenian armed forces fired at the villages of Terter, Aghdam, and Aghjabedi regions.
Units of the Azerbaijan Army took retaliatory measures to suppress the enemy’s firing points.
https://mod.gov.az/en/news/the-enemy-fired-at-our-human-settlements-33726.html
Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva have today visited the Honorary Alley and the Alley of Martyrs
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva have today visited the Honorary Alley and the Alley of Martyrs.
President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva first paid respect to national leader Heydar Aliyev at the Honorary Alley.
President Ilham Aliyev laid a wreath at the tomb of national leader Heydar Aliyev.
The national anthem of Azerbaijan was played.
The head of state and his wife also paid tribute to the prominent ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva.
They also put flowers at the graves of statesman Aziz Aliyev and physician, scientist Tamerlan Aliyev.
President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva then visited the Alley of Martyrs. The head of state and the first lady paid their respect to the Azerbaijani heroes who gave their lives for the country’s independence and territorial integrity and put flowers at their graves.
President Ilham Aliyev laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame monument.
The national anthem of Azerbaijan was played.
The head of state addressed the nation at the Alley of Martyrs.
Address by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev to the nation
– My fellow countrymen, dear sisters and brothers!
It is with great pride that I declare that the city of Shusha has been liberated from occupation! Shusha is ours! Karabakh is ours! I cordially congratulate all the people of Azerbaijan on this occasion. I sincerely congratulate all the people of Shusha.
Shusha, which was under occupation for 28 and a half years, has been liberated! Shusha is free now! We have returned to Shusha! We have won this historic victory on the battlefield. 8 November 2020 will eternally go down in the history of Azerbaijan. This history will live forever. This is the day of our glorious victory! We have won this victory on the battlefield, not at the negotiating table. I have said many times that, despite all the statements, there was a military solution to this conflict, the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and we are proving it on the battlefield today. Nearly 30 years of meaningless negotiations did not bring us any closer to the result. Our ancient historical lands had been under occupation for almost 30 years. In the process of negotiations, the Armenian side simply wanted to gain time, strengthen the status quo and perpetuate it. Over the years, signals sent to Azerbaijan from various power centers were repeatedly urging us to put up with the situation. However, showing determination, courage and political will, we did not go for any agreement that did not meet the interests of the Azerbaijani people. I have repeatedly stated from all international forums that the restoration of our lands and territorial integrity is our main task, and we are fulfilling this task. Negotiations did not yield any results. They were trying to fool us. They were trying to freeze the issue. We have won this victory on the battlefield. We have won this victory through martyrs. May God have mercy on all our martyrs! I ask God’s mercy for all our martyrs who died in the first Karabakh war and the second Karabakh war – the Patriotic war as we call it. I wish God’s healing to our wounded compatriots. We are liberating our lands from occupiers at the cost of our people, soldiers, and officers’ lives and blood. We are expelling the occupiers from our lands, and we will drive them out!
Shusha was under occupation for 28 and a half years. Shusha has a special place in the history of Azerbaijan. This is our ancient and historical city. For centuries, Azerbaijanis have lived, built and created in Shusha. Shusha is a pearl not only of Azerbaijan but also of the entire Caucasus. However, by occupying Shusha, the despised enemy dealt a great blow to our cultural heritage, destroyed our historical sites, destroyed our mosques and insulted us. We have now returned to Shusha. We will restore all our historical sites, all our mosques, and a call to prayer will be heard in Shusha again after 28 years. A few years ago, at the opening of a mosque built on my instructions in the Jojuq Marjanly settlement, which was liberated from occupation after the April 2016 fighting, I stated that this mosque was similar to the Shusha mosque. It is of the same size and architectural style. I said that one day we would restore our mosques destroyed by Armenian vandals in Shusha, and that day is coming. Today, the Azerbaijani flag is flying in Shusha. Today, all the people of Azerbaijan are proud to welcome this good news.
We are gathering strength in a focused manner, tirelessly, despite all the pressures. We are building up economic power. If we did not have economic power, it would not be possible to achieve this victory. First of all, economic independence had to be secured and was secured. Today, Azerbaijan is not economically dependent on anyone, on any country or international financial institution. This independence has allowed us the opportunity to develop our country and strengthen our army at the same time. We buy all the military equipment and weapons needed for our army from foreign markets. If we didn’t have economic opportunities, how could we get them? By pursuing a successful policy within the country, we have created a unique model of development for the world. Our internal solidarity, national unity and common cause gave us additional strength and did not allow some sordid foreign circles to implement their ugly plans with respect to Azerbaijan. However, there were such plans; there were such attempts. We have repulsed these attempts by showing political resolve and unity. We have defended our pride as a people; we have defended our independent choice as a nation. We have proved that no-one can or will interfere in our work. Without this unity and national solidarity, we would never have been able to liberate our lands from occupiers. The smear campaign’s primary goal, the campaign of libel and defamation against us over the years, was to distance us from our main task, distance us, drown us in internal problems, and keep the occupied territories in the hands of the occupiers forever. Strong political will and the unity of the people and government overthrew these plans.
The third key factor in our victory is our success at the international level. We have proved to the whole world that Karabakh has always been the land of Azerbaijan. We have proved that the Azerbaijani people have lived in these lands for centuries. We have proved that the Armenian population was settled to these lands only 200 years ago, how it was resettled and for what purpose. We presented it all to the world community, with evidence and facts. We have proved that Nagorno-Karabakh is a historical and ancient land of Azerbaijan, and this issue must be resolved based on the norms and principles of international law. All of the world’s leading organizations, all international organizations have adopted fair resolutions and decisions on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Four resolutions of the UN Security Council, resolutions of the UN General Assembly, resolutions of the Non-Aligned Movement, resolutions of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, resolutions of the European Parliament and other international organizations unequivocally recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as an integral part of Azerbaijan. This gave us additional strength. If we had not done that, the processes surrounding the conflict today could cause us significant problems. Over the years, we have established relations with many countries based on sincere, businesslike and mutual respect. Many countries consider Azerbaijan, a strategic partner, and this expression is already reflected in international documents. We have established relations with all neighboring countries based on sincere friendship, mutual respect and mutual trust. If we had not done that, a completely different process could have unfolded around the conflict today.
When Shusha was occupied, our main problems were that we did not have an army, and the leadership could not fulfill its duties. At the international level, Azerbaijan had strained relations with almost all countries. We were virtually isolated. But today, we have isolated Armenia. Our transnational projects have created an entirely new landscape in the region. We have redesigned the energy and transport maps of the region. The projects implemented on our initiative meet the interests of our people and the interests of many countries, including the countries of the region. We have both bilateral and trilateral cooperation formats with neighboring countries. All this has dramatically strengthened Azerbaijan’s international relevance. Without these achievements, the problem could have remained frozen.
Finally and, most importantly, army building. During these 17 years, the crucial part of my work has been devoted to army building, strengthening our army, to equipping our military with the most modern weaponry. It was not an easy task, either. Material resources alone are not enough to buy these weapons. Simultaneously, diplomatic and political efforts must be made, and we have achieved all this. Today, Azerbaijan provides for its military needs from many countries. At the same time, the defense industry has been created in Azerbaijan on my initiative. We meet the needs of our army largely through domestic production. Azerbaijan produces more than 1,000 types of military products, including the most modern ones. This is our activity – building the army, solving the material and housing problems of our servicemen, addressing the retired servicemen’s issues, providing them with apartments, and improving our servicemen’s working conditions. We have rebuilt almost all our military camps and military bases, and they meet the highest standards. Of course, first of all, there is combat capability. The ability to fight has increased. Repeated military parades on Azadlig Square have shown the world our strength.
Increasing combat capability is a critical factor in army building. We use modern weapons, use technology, and destroy enemy equipment, but it is Azerbaijani soldiers who liberate our lands. It is Azerbaijani officers who liberate them. They are the ones who chase the enemy with a flag and a weapon in their hands, soldiers who destroy the enemy. Long live our soldiers!
We have created such an army! We said to the occupiers, we told them, put an end to the occupation before it is too late. Therefore, our policy was unequivocal at all times. We have said that if the issue is not resolved peacefully, we will resolve the issue militarily. I have said this many times. Therefore, I have been criticized by some countries. I said to them: weren’t our lands occupied by military means? Has Armenia occupied our lands peacefully? Every country has the right to self-defense. This right is given to us by the UN Charter. I said that if I saw that the talks were entirely ineffective, we would be left with no other option. Let everyone know this – the enemy, its supporters and the mediators involved in this matter. I have always kept my word. I did what I told the Azerbaijani people. I kept my word on this issue, and we are already celebrating the Victory.
Since 27 September, more than 200 cities, villages and settlements have been liberated, including the city of Fuzuli, which has been completely destroyed. The hated enemy did not leave a single safe building there. Jabrayil is completely destroyed. Gubadli, Zangilan are completely destroyed. Villages, cities. Hadrut settlement, Sugovushan settlement and the city of Shusha today.
Our victory march continues. There are still occupied lands, and the fighting continues. If the Armenian leadership does not respond to my demand, we will go to the end. No-one can stop us. No force in the world can stop us. Armenia has already admitted its bitter defeat, has humiliated itself and insulted its people. The Armenian leadership now seeks help, military assistance, weapons and equipment from other countries. Where is your invincible army now? We have destroyed it. All their words, all their statements were a myth, a lie. The invincible army is the Azerbaijani Army! We showed this on the battlefield, drove out the enemy from the lands singlehandedly. Billions of dollars have been spent over 30 years; fortifications have been built, engineering facilities have been created. But we have destroyed them all – at the cost of our spirit, strength and unity!
I want to say again that our victory march continues. Enemy forces must be withdrawn from all occupied territories. This is our demand. International norms and principles, decisions and resolutions of international organizations require precisely that.
Dear sisters and brothers, today I bring this good news to my dear people here in the Alley of Martyrs. This is no coincidence. This is natural. Today, I bow once again to the souls of our martyrs. Today I declare that the blood of our martyrs does not remain unavenged. The blood of the victims of Armenian atrocities, the victims of Khojaly, does not remain unavenged. We took our revenge on the battlefield. We have never fought against civilians. We didn’t do it this time either. Although the hated enemy has killed 93 and wounded more than 400 civilians with cowardly fire. But I said no, we are Azerbaijanis! We will take our revenge on the battlefield! We have destroyed their army, we have, and we will continue to destroy their equipment. We will drive out the enemy!
Today, I also visited the grave of great leader Heydar Aliyev and paid my respects. I said in my heart; I am happy to have fulfilled my father’s will. We have liberated Shusha! This is a great victory! The souls of our martyrs and the Great Leader are happy today! Congratulations, Azerbaijan! Congratulations, Azerbaijanis of the world!
These days I receive thousands of letters from Azerbaijanis around the world, from people living in Azerbaijan. I get thousands of letters every day. I only regret that I can’t read them all. There is simply not enough time. What beautiful words, what generous support! Today we prove to the whole world that we are a great nation. We are a proud nation! We are invincible people! We show the enemy’s place on the battlefield!
These days, I have repeatedly addressed the people of Azerbaijan and showed my fist to the enemy. I said that this was not just a fist. This is an iron fist. We will crush the enemy’s head with this iron fist! At the same time, this fist is a symbol of our unity. Today, the people of Azerbaijan are as united as this fist! It will always be the case! This unity will last forever! This unity will allow us to fulfill all our responsibilities in the future. For all these years – for 17 years – I have felt the support of the Azerbaijani people. I have witnessed your trust, your kind attitude to me. It gives me strength. This is an invaluable support for my policy. I have always assured the people of Azerbaijan that I will serve my homeland and my people with dignity and loyalty. I am glad that I have kept my word. As always, I have kept my word.
Bringing this good news to the people of Azerbaijan on this historic day is perhaps one of the happiest days of my life.
Dear Shusha, you are free!
Dear Shusha, we are back!
Dear Shusha, we will reinvigorate you!
Shusha is ours! Karabakh is ours! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!
https://en.president.az/articles/45756
Release of the Press Service of the President
Victorious Commander-in-Chief, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today made a phone call to Commander of the Joint Corps, Lieutenant General Hikmat Mirzayev.
The Commander-in-Chief congratulated Hikmat Mirzayev on the liberation of the city of Shusha from the occupiers. The head of state extended his congratulations to the servicemen and all the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan.
8 November will eternally go down in history as Glorious Victory Day. We have returned to Shusha. Shusha is ours! Karabakh is Azerbaijan! Azerbaijan, I felicitate you!
DEAR SHUSHA, YOU ARE FREE! Dear Shusha, we have returned! Dear Shusha, we will reinvigorate you! Karabakh is ours! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!
Video footage of the liberated Balasoltanli village of Gubadli region – VIDEO
High-ranking enemy officials were killed in the Khojavend direction of the front – VIDEO
At around 14:00 on November 8, the airstrikes were inflicted on the foremost command post of the Armenian armed forces in the Khojavend direction of the front.
As a result of airstrikes by the Azerbaijan Air Force Su-25 attack aircraft and use of the UAVs, enemy trenches and shelters were destroyed, and high-ranking officials were annihilated.
Ilham Aliyev received Turkish Foreign Minister and Minister of National Defense
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu and the country’s Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar.
Welcoming the guests, President Ilham Aliyev said:
– Welcome, dear guests!
As you know, it is a significant day for our people today. It is a historic day. Today is the day of the liberation of Shusha. It is particularly important that you are with us on such a day. This is yet another example of brotherhood, yet another manifestation of brotherhood. As always, we are together on both good days and challenging times. This event again shows how close our peoples are to each other and how close Turkey and Azerbaijan are.
The President of Turkey, my dear brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly expressed his support for Azerbaijan over the past month and beyond, giving us additional strength by providing political and moral support with his open statements. At the same time, you, dear Minister of Defense, and our other brothers have repeatedly stated your support for Azerbaijan. You mentioned that Turkey stands by Azerbaijan. Of course, these statements, this political and moral support, have also played an essential role in resolving this conflict.
The liberation of our cities and villages from occupation and the liberation of Shusha, the ancient city of Azerbaijan, is, of course, a historic event. We are delighted that you have personally come to Azerbaijan to celebrate this event with us.
Thank you very much again. During this time, the whole world, those who like us and those who don’t, saw that our unity is unshakable and eternal. This will continue to be the case. Thank you again, and welcome!
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said:
– Thank you very much for receiving us, Mr. President. We are always happy to be in Baku and to meet with you. But we are particularly pleased today because the heroic Azerbaijani Army under the leadership of its Commander-in-Chief, Your Excellency, has recaptured the ancient city of Shusha from Armenian occupiers. Thus, we heartily congratulate the heroic Azerbaijani Army, you as the Commander-in-Chief and the fraternal people of Azerbaijan, who stand behind the Commander-in-Chief and his valiant army on these difficult days, especially in the face of the missiles fired by Armenia.
I want to convey the greetings of our esteemed President. We are especially pleased to be here in Baku on such a momentous day – Flag Day.
Thank you for receiving us. Congratulations again, Mr. President!
President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you very much. Please convey my greetings to my dear brother, dear President. As you know, we are always in touch. We spoke on the phone yesterday. So we are always in touch, and these personal ties, these friendly, fraternal ties between us have a positive impact on the relations between our countries. Thank you again.
https://en.president.az/articles/45789
The enemy fires at the human settlements of Terter and Aghdam regions
Starting from 16:30 on November 8, the Armenian armed forces units have been firing at the villages of Terter and Aghdam regions.
Azerbaijan Army Units are taking retaliatory measures to suppress the enemy’s firing points.
Video footage of the liberated Tsakuri village of Khojavend region – VIDEO
The enemy fled, leaving some positions in the Khojavend direction of the front – VIDEO
Heavy blows were inflicted on the enemy as a result of the offensive operation carried out by the Azerbaijan Army in the Khojavend direction of the front.
Damage was inflicted on enemy positions by fire strikes in this direction of the front. The enemy, who suffered heavy losses, fled, leaving some frontiers.
We present video footage reflecting these moments.