Verbatim excerpts from today’s Azertag. Try showing them to someone not acquainted with the South Caucasus and see if they can identify the century – or millennium – they were made in.

Presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey made joint statements to the press

Ilham Aliyev:

From the first hours to the last minutes of the Second Karabakh War, Turkey was with Azerbaijan. My dear brother, the esteemed President supported Azerbaijan in the first hours, declared to the whole world that Azerbaijan is not alone, Turkey is with Azerbaijan. This has given us great political and moral support and additional strength. My dear brother, today the people of Azerbaijan rightly express their gratitude to you. You know that everyone in Azerbaijan loves you and treats you with great respect. You have done a great job for our Victory, and today you are with us again in the period of construction and restoration.

Today, Turkish-Azerbaijani cooperation and brotherhood have become an important factor in regional affairs and even in the world. Under the leadership of my dear brother, Turkey has become a great power in the world and no one can dictate his will to Turkey. Recently, my dear brother responded to those who wanted to interfere in Turkey’s internal affairs in such a way that I think this is an example for all politicians. The Leader, who protects his national dignity, protects and defends the interests and pride of his people and state, is here today, in Azerbaijan, in Zangilan, in Agali. We must appreciate it. The Recep Tayyip Erdogan factor is one of the most important factors for the whole Turkic world.

I must also say that next month Azerbaijan will hand over the chairmanship of the Turkish Council to Turkey. I am confident that Turkey will successfully chair the Council under the leadership of my dear brother. Cooperation and brotherhood between the Turkic states will be further strengthened, thus opening up new opportunities for the entire Turkic world.

Of course, it is not right not to talk about the Zangazur corridor here in Zangilan today. Zangilan is located in the Eastern Zangazur region, and the Zangazur Corridor passing through it will connect the entire Turkic world.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan:

During our visit today, we saw how these liberated regions of Azerbaijan really revived and developed rapidly in a short period of time. This is not the work of every hero, every politician. To invest these investments in such a short period of time, to carry out this work, I believe, creates an opportunity to give good news to my Azerbaijani brothers who were forced to leave their homeland.

Distinguished members of the media, in our meetings with my brother Ilham today, we discussed in detail our bilateral relations and regional processes. By expanding our economic and trade cooperation, we have had the opportunity to assess the current state and future plans for energy, transport and Karabakh development projects. Most importantly, we discussed with the Shusha Declaration how we can further develop our relations, which we have reached the level of a strategic alliance. We act with a common consciousness and spirit given by being one nation, two states.

The roads and railways that will pass through this geography will create economic and trade opportunities not only for Azerbaijan and Turkey, but for all countries in the region. In the future, we will be able to leave Zangazur and go to Istanbul, Igdira, Kars, and the possibility of becoming a transit and logistics center of the region will be strengthened.