UPDATE 2 - Presidents of Turkey, Azerbaijan inaugurate Fuzuli International Airport

UPDATES WITH 2ND GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY

By Zafer Fatih Beyaz and Mehmet Tosun

ANKARA / FUZULI, Azerbaijan (AA) - Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Azerbaijani counterpart on Tuesday jointly inaugurated a new airport in an area liberated a year ago from Armenian occupation.

Erdogan is the first head of state to land at Fuzuli International Airport, Azerbaijan's first airport in the area liberated from Armenia. This is the Turkish president's third official visit to Nagorno-Karabakh since its liberation last year.

The Turkish president, in Azerbaijan for a one-day working visit at the invitation of his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, cut the ribbon with Aliyev to officially open the new airport, then toured the building and spoke with officials there.

Among the Turkish officials accompanying Erdogan were Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin.

Erdogan also attended the groundbreaking ceremony of a highway in Fuzuli.

In a gesture to history, Erdogan and Aliyev buried a handwritten note at the site.

"The foundation of the Horadiz-Jabrayil-Zangilan-Aghband highway (Zangezur Corridor) was laid by Aliyev and Erdogan," it said.

Erdogan later attended the groundbreaking ceremony of a smart agriculture campus to be built in Zangilan with Turkey's contributions.

Erdogan also visited an Anadolu Agency photo exhibit at the campus, accompanied by Serdar Karagoz, the agency’s chairman and director-general.

The photos in the “Karabakh Victory” exhibit showcase the deep-rooted fellowship between Turkey and Azerbaijan and dramatic moments from the liberation of Karabakh.

The campus is set to make contributions to both Azerbaijan and Turkey’s food security, as well as send regional agricultural and animal products to world markets.

Before the visit, Turkish officials said the leaders would discuss bilateral relations in all respects, as well as initiatives to deepen the countries’ cooperation.

Current regional and international developments, as well as bilateral relations, were also set to be discussed.

On Jan. 12, Aliyev laid the foundation for the airport, which was completed in eight months while meeting the highest international standards. The facility’s first test flight was done on Aug. 22.

The airport's runway is 3,000 meters (9,843 feet) long and 60 meters (197 feet) wide. Its terminal can serve 200 passengers an hour. All wide-body aircraft, including large cargo planes, will be able to easily take off and land at the airport.

Turkish companies also contributed to the airport's construction, which is equipped with automated systems and a control tower that meets international civil aviation and transportation standards.

- Liberation of Karabakh

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

New clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian army launching repeated attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and also violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and some 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for nearly three decades.

The fighting ended on Nov. 10, 2020, after the two countries signed an agreement brokered by Russia.