Politics
5 years on, Shusha Declaration cements Türkiye-Azerbaijan ties
Türkiye and Azerbaijan on Monday marked the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Shusha Declaration, elevating their ties to an alliance, an ongoing process highlighted with a string of concrete steps. The two countries have enjoyed warm ties from time immemorial, but their formal alliance was put into the text with the Shusha Declaration signed on June 15, 2021, by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, in the eponymous city of Azerbaijan. Since the declaration that elevated the status of strategic partnership, countries joined forces for cooperation for regional peace, solidarity and development.
The declaration is a testament to the comprehensive cooperation that will be maintained in all strategic fields, particularly national security. It envisions reinforcing partnership in many fields, from the military and defense industry to energy and transportation, from the economy to humanitarian relations. More importantly, the declaration affirmed joint action against threats and attacks against the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and border security of any one of the countries. Political pundits say the declaration is a turning point for reinforcing regional peace, security and cooperation.
It also includes a vision on the Turkic world, the two countries are part of and sets out goals for international promotion of Turkic cultural heritage, joint work on regional and global scale for development of the Turkic world. Erdoğan branded it as a road map in new era of Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations.
Azerbaijan demonstrated its commitment to brotherly relations after the signing of the declaration with solidarity with Türkiye following Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes in southern Türkiye. Azerbaijan was the first country to extend aid to Türkiye in the aftermath of what Türkiye calls “disaster of century” which killed tens of thousands of people. The amount of aid from Azerbaijan to Türkiye reached to $45 million. Azerbaijan also sent search and rescue crews and healthcare personnel to aid Türkiye and organized an aid campaign. It also allocated financial support amounting to $100 million for recovery of Kahramanmaraş, the province at the epicenter of the earthquake. Today, Kahramanmaraş hosts an entire neighborhood built by Azerbaijan, as well as a school, culture center and a park.
In September 2023, Türkiye announced strong support for Azerbaijan’s operations in Karabakh against Armenian separatists.
The relations were further reinforced with additional agreements and protocols in defense industry cooperation. Two countries launched joint production in the sector. In March 2024, Türkiye’s leading defense firm Baykar signed a joint research, development and production agreement with Azerbaijan’s defense ministry for AI-supported unmanned systems, technical maintenance and logistics coordination. Azerbaijan also plans to acquire fifth-generation KAAN fighter jets manufactured by Türkiye.
Countries also renewed their commitment on energy cooperation. In March 2025, the Iğdır-Nakhchivan natural gas pipeline with a capacity of 2 million cubic meters of natural gas daily was inaugurated.
In terms of connectivity, two countries outlined the future of the Kars-Nakhchivan railroad in August 2025. The railroad is expected to be completed in 2029.
In a message to an international conference held in Shusha on the occasion of the anniversary, President Aliyev said Azerbaijan strived to boost cooperation with various countries in the aftermath of the era where Azerbaijan faced occupation, international threats and injustice. Aliyev underlined that his country pursued decisive policies for lasting peace and stability in its region.
He underlined that strengthening solidarity and cooperation with the Turkic world was essential for international cooperation. “Our family, the Turkic world, is evolving into an influential geopolitical hub in the 21st century,” he stated.
The conference entitled “Regional Contribution to Global Security: Peacebuilding in the South Caucasus” was organized by New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) and hosted officials and experts from several countries, including Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Laos, Moldova, Cambodia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Belarus, China, North Macedonia, Georgia and Serbia.
Speaking at the conference, YAP deputy chair and secretary-general Tahir Budagov described the Shusha Declaration as a document of conceptual and strategic vision for the future that serves to promote peace, stability, security and cooperation in the region. “Azerbaijan-Türkiye relations are upgraded to a new level and now constitute one of the most important pillars of regional security architecture,” Budagov said. He said the declaration was based on the late President Heydar Aliyev’s definition of relations as “one nation, two states.” “It is rational next sequence of revered National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s immortal idea of National Salvation ideology, in the current geopolitical conditions,” Budagov stated. He said peace in the region was strengthened not only through political agreements but also through the implementation of mutual economic interests. “Historical experience indicates that conflict risks de-escalate in the regions with advanced economic integration and the cooperation becomes a guarantee for stability. Future of South Caucasus should be built upon open communication lines, transportation lines, cooperation based on mutual benefit and regional integration,” Budagov also said.
Speaking at the event, Şamil Ayrım, a lawmaker from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) who also chairs Parliament’s Türkiye-Azerbaijan Interparliamentary Committee of Friendship, echoed Budagov’s remarks. “The Shusha Declaration is not merely a document improving relations between two brotherly countries. It is also a strategic road map for lasting peace, security, economic development and regional cooperation in the South Caucasus.”
The new defense pact between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan does not target any country and is open to other regional nations seeking peace and stability, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday, positioning the agreement as a broader framework for regional security cooperation.
Erdoğan made the remarks after Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Joint Defense Agreement in Mecca, where he met Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The president traveled to Mecca at the invitation of Mohammed bin Salman for talks with the two leaders.
Erdoğan emphasized that the agreement, built around the principle of collective deterrence, should not be interpreted as an alliance directed against another state.
He said the pact remains open to the participation of “all brotherly countries” committed to promoting peace, prosperity and stability in the region.
The agreement also reaffirms the right to self-defense enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, Erdoğan said.
Under the pact, the three countries aim to deepen security and defense cooperation, develop joint defense industry projects and strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue pursuing its vision of regional ownership while advocating the resolution of conflicts and crises through dialogue and diplomacy based on respect for international law.
He expressed hope that the talks in Mecca and the newly signed agreement would benefit the wider region.
The three countries have been the subject of months of speculation about a possible strategic alliance.
Pakistan has sought to mediate efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war, while Türkiye has played a diplomatic role in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Gaza. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had already announced a joint defense pact in 2025, a move that drew attention because Pakistan is the Muslim world’s only nuclear-equipped state
Somalia on Friday hailed a new joint defense agreement signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, calling the pact a landmark move to bolster collective security and deepen defense cooperation.
In a statement, the defense ministry said the agreement establishes a strategic partnership capable of addressing shared security challenges and advancing long-term defense cooperation among the three countries.
The ministry expressed confidence that the pact would make a significant contribution to regional peace and stability while reinforcing the principles of cooperation, solidarity and shared responsibility.
It added that the agreement would serve the interests of the region’s peoples and support international peace and security.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed Friday following a summit in the Muslim holy city of Mecca attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The agreement between the three Muslim states brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia and nuclear power Pakistan as well as Türkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a rapidly growing defense industry. It would increase cooperation and deterrence at a time of increased regional uncertainty and threats from the war in Iran.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday hailed the new joint defense agreement with Türkiye and Saudi Arabia as a historic step toward strengthening regional peace and security.
“Honoured to sign the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement alongside my dear brothers, HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and H.E. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” Sharif said in a post on X.
He described Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan as “three brotherly nations, united by faith, friendship and a shared resolve for peace and security.”
Sharif expressed hope that the agreement “will remain a shield of peace for generations to come” and contribute to the prosperity of the three countries as well as the wider Muslim world.
He also praised Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, for his “untiring efforts and utmost dedication,” which he said contributed significantly to the conclusion of the defense agreement.
On Friday, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement at a trilateral summit in Mecca, pledging to strengthen collective security, deepen defense cooperation and promote peace and stability in the region and beyond.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Shehbaz Sharif during the summit held at Al-Safa Palace.
According to information obtained from Turkish officials, the agreement is a defense-oriented cooperation arrangement that targets no country and is designed to strengthen commitments to regional and global peace, stability and prosperity through burden-sharing and a common security approach.
The agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries shall be regarded as an attack against them all, the officials added.
The Interior Ministry announced on Friday that 104 suspects linked to the terrorist group Daesh had been detained in operations across 30 provinces.
The ministry said in a social media post that the operations were carried out by gendarmerie forces. The suspects are accused of financing the terrorist group through so-called charities they had established and of engaging in online Daesh propaganda.
“We continue our operations against the activities and financial networks of the Daesh terrorist group with determination to ensure our country’s peace and security,” the ministry said in a statement, congratulating the gendarmerie officers and prosecutors involved in the operations.
Türkiye has conducted sustained counterterrorism operations against Daesh for years, targeting the group’s members, facilitators and financial networks both domestically and across its borders. Turkish security forces regularly carry out nationwide raids to prevent attacks and dismantle the organization’s presence in the country.
Daesh remains a threat to Türkiye, which has lost dozens of citizens in attacks carried out by the group, particularly during the period when it was active in neighboring Iraq and Syria. The country has also sought to bring Turkish nationals affiliated with the terrorist group back from abroad.
In June, Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) captured Daesh operative Ahmet Kazancı, who was linked to Özgür Altun, another Turkish national captured by MIT in cooperation with Pakistan’s intelligence services in 2025.
The Turkish Parliament’s Justice Committee was set to begin discussions on the draft of the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration, landmark legislation aimed at accelerating the disarmament of the PKK terrorist group.
The discussions on Friday were expected to conclude within hours, with Parliament’s General Assembly set to debate and likely approve the bill on Sunday. The law will pave the way for the return of PKK members from abroad to surrender to the authorities, while the execution of their sentences is expected to be deferred if they are not found to have been involved in acts of terrorism.
PKK members seeking deferred sentences will be allowed to apply after Turkish authorities officially announce that the terrorist group has fully laid down its arms. Those who do not apply will remain subject to judicial proceedings and the execution of their sentences.
PKK members in Iraq will apply through Turkish diplomatic missions in that country, according to a report by the Sabah newspaper. Most PKK members are currently based in the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq. In Syria, another stronghold of the terrorist group, PKK members will also be able to surrender through Turkish diplomatic missions. Those residing in Europe will similarly be processed through Turkish embassies and consulates across the continent.
The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Defense, together with the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), will coordinate the process. Returnees will first be required to appear before a court and, if the court so rules, they will be released with the execution of their sentences deferred.
A monitoring board will establish a special monitoring system for PKK members released under deferred sentences or returning from abroad. The Interior Ministry and MIT will monitor these individuals. If any links to criminal organizations or signs of renewed terrorist activity are detected, authorities will intervene immediately.
The law will not apply to approximately 250 founding members of the terrorist organization, including Fehman Hüseyin, Murat Karayılan, Cemil Bayık, Duran Kalkan and Bese Hozat. It is reported that, together with those convicted of murder, the total number of individuals excluded from the law is close to 1,000.
MIT has compiled a complete inventory of all weapons and equipment in the terrorist organization’s possession. Authorities will require the surrender not only of pistols and rifles, but also of drones, satellite communication systems and paramotors used by the PKK.
Commenting on the legislation and the anticipated returns, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek assured the public on Friday that the law would not be implemented until all conditions required for the PKK’s dissolution had been met. Speaking to journalists in the eastern province of Iğdır, Gürlek underlined that the law would take effect only after the National Security Council (MGK), chaired by the president, officially declared that the PKK had been completely dismantled.
“Individuals who participated in armed killings, whether they are abroad or currently in prison, will under no circumstances be eligible to benefit from the regulation,” Gürlek stressed.
“People want terrorism to end once and for all. According to recent surveys, 91% of our citizens say they support the initiative,” he added.
The anticipated returns are likely to be welcomed most by the Diyarbakır Mothers. The group, composed primarily of women, has staged a sit-in in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır for years, urging the PKK to release their sons and daughters. They say their children were minors or teenagers when they were lured into joining the terrorist group.
Necibe Çiftçi, one of about 80 parents participating in the sit-in, told the Sabah newspaper on Thursday that the families had endured years of hardship and that some had already been reunited with their children. Çiftçi is awaiting the return of her son, Roşat, who was 16 when he was lured into joining the PKK in 2015. Two years later, Roşat’s brother Sami was killed by the terrorist group after refusing to join it.
Çiftçi, from the southeastern town of Şemdinli, said the state had “proved its greatness” by helping families reunite with their children. “May Allah bless it. I am now waiting for the phone call from my son telling me that he is coming home,” she told Sabah.
Mevlüde Üçdağ, who is also waiting to be reunited with her son Ramazan, echoed the sentiment. She said the law would bring an end to the families’ long ordeal and that everyone was “waiting for the doorbell to ring” to welcome their children home.
A woman accused of helping her brother, one of the most wanted suspects in the July 15, 2016 coup attempt by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), was apprehended on Friday in Muğla, the southwestern Turkish province where her brother is being questioned following his capture last week.
The woman, identified as A.A.K., allegedly supplied food and cash and found hideouts for Burkay Karatepe, an army captain who sought to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while he was on the run. Authorities said she was detained in a hotel room in Muğla’s Menteşe district. Police were also searching her home in the central province of Eskişehir.
Karatepe, who has cooperated with authorities since his capture, admitted that his family had helped him remain in hiding after he fled Marmaris in Muğla, where the assassination attempt on Erdoğan, who was staying at a hotel there on July 15, 2016, was foiled. Meanwhile, Karatepe was escorted by police and a prosecutor as he retraced the route of his escape in Marmaris. Police are also searching for the weapons and ammunition he reportedly hid in the Marmaris countryside after fleeing. Other members of the assassination team accompanying Karatepe were captured in the countryside within days of the coup attempt.
He told investigators that he first traveled to İzmir after the coup attempt failed. He said he initially took shelter at the home of a couple originally from his hometown in Afyonkarahisar. He later contacted his father before returning to his hometown, where he hid in a house owned by his grandfather. According to his statement, his immediate family gathered at the house, and everyone was aware of his involvement in the coup attempt. Karatepe then met his father, who helped him hide in the countryside near his hometown. He later moved to central Afyon, used a fake ID under the name “Salih,” and kept a low profile while working odd jobs, including at construction sites and as a junk collector.
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